The Price of Forever
by mayghaen17
Summary: Part 2. With the death of Katherine, Elena and Damon think that they are safe; ready to start their eternity together...until something else tries to break them apart.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I have no idea where this story is going, but I have some ideas :) thank you for all the reviews and suggestions from Nothing Without You. I hope you like this one too!**

ONE

Waking up was harder than I ever remembered it to be. My body was sore all over and it felt as though I had been asleep for a week. Which I had always thought would be refreshing and yet it wasn't. I turned my head away from the blinding light behind my closed lids and opened them once the light had faded. The bed beside me was empty and the room beyond it was strange and unfamiliar. "Stefan?" I called out, afraid of what had happened to him. He would have never left without saying anything.

I sat up and waited for the dizziness to pass before I got to my feet. I looked around the room more throughly; it was starting to be familiar, but it still wasn't clicking. I made my way towards the door and opened it up. I stepped out into the hall and a chill ran up my spine. It was definitely the boarding house I was in. I looked around the hallway and realized that I had come out of Damon's room. _What was I doing in there_, I wondered. I walked down to Stefan's room and pushed the door open. There were a few articles of my clothing folded neatly at the end of the bed but there was still no sign of Stefan. I backed out into the hallway as I began to panic and stopped short as I noticed his ring on my finger.

"Elena?" Damon called from the top of the stairs.

"Where the hell is Stefan? Why am I wearing his ring?" I fired. "Why was I in your room?"

His brow arched, but his eyes were devoid of his usual mockery. "What's the last thing you remember?"

"Stop answering a question with a question. I hate that," I said as I crossed my arms and tapped my foot impatiently.

"Stefan gave you his ring before he left."

"Left? Where did he go?"

His eyes darkened. "Elena, what is the last thing you remember?"

I wracked my brain for the answer and came up with nothing. There was a lot of black and flashes of blood, but not much else. "I don't know," I said and felt an onslaught of tears from frustration coming. "Just tell me where he is," I pleaded softly.

"He's not here. He went to visit a friend in Florida. She contacted him two days ago and he left this morning. I assumed he would have told you that," he said and I knew he was lying, but I let it go. Something told me I didn't want to know the truth.

"I should get going. What time is it anyway?"

"It's almost two in the afternoon."

"Seriously? What day is it?"

"Saturday," he said as if it were bad thing. "Look, Elena, promise me that you won't take off that ring."

I looked at it again and then back up at him in horror. "If I'm wearing this, then...Oh God."

He pulled me to him and I was even more confused. He was being nice for no reason at all. "He's fine. He had another ring made so that you could keep that one. Just promise me that you'll never take it off."

I stepped back from him and nodded briefly. "I'll never take it off," I promised. "I'm going to see Bonnie. Do you know where my phone is?"

He fished it out of his pocket and handed it to me. I didn't ask where he got it and all the questions I wanted to shout at him I put aside for another time. "Here. Call me if you need me for anything. I mean it Elena; call me."

He was worried about me for some reason. I nodded and headed down to my car. "Damon?" I called from the front porch with the door still opened. When he was beside me, I asked, "Where's my car?"

"Stefan drove you here last night."

I took a deep breath to calm my anger. "You couldn't have told me that sooner?"

He grinned, his usual arrogance back in his eyes. "Call her and I'll drive you over there."

He went to grab his keys as I dialed her number. "Elena?!" she answered as if I hadn't spoken to her in a week.

"Bonnie, I need to talk to you. Mind if I come over?"

"No, not at all," she said in a rush.

"Bonnie-" I started before Damon grabbed my phone and moved outside at his superhuman speed. "Hey!" I yelled as he spoke to her before I could get out there to take my phone back. He hung up by the time I got there. "What did you say to her?"

"Nothing," he replied as he placed the phone in my hand and led me to his car.

I stared at him the whole way there. "What is with you?"

"What's with me?" he asked with a light smirk.

"Yes. You're being nice, you're obviously lying about Stefan. Why?"

He shook his head, the smirk gone. "You'll understand soon enough." I sighed and let it go. I spent the rest of the ride fidgeting in my seat. For whatever reason I couldn't get comfortable. "Are you okay?"

"I'm feeling restless for some reason."

He only shook his head, but the look on his face told me he was deeply concerned. We pulled into Bonnie's driveway and he followed me out of the car. "She said I could come over too."

"She hates you," I said flatly.

He nodded, "Yes, she does."

She opened the door and flung her arms around me. "Bonnie?" I asked in surprise.

"I'm sorry, I'm just really happy to see you," she said with unshed tears sparkling in her eyes.

She let me go and stared at Damon. "I need to talk to you," he said to her.

I sighed; I was being told to leave. "I have to use the bathroom. I'll be in your room," I said and went into the house. Ironically, I really did have to use the bathroom and by the time I got to her room, she was already there waiting for me. "You and Damon have a nice chat?"

"I don't want to talk about that."

"Do you know what happened to Stefan? Damon said he was in Florida visiting a friend. He's lying to me and I don't know why. This morning I woke up in Damon's room wearing Stefan's ring. Bonnie, I don't remember what happened."

She smiled lightly, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Matt and Caroline wanted to go to the Grill tonight for dinner. I told them you would come with me after you called me. Is that alright?"

"I'll have to check with Jenna," I said and then something coursed through me. "I have to call her."

She grabbed my phone from me. "I told her you were coming over. She said it was okay." I sighed and laid down on her bed. "Can I get you anything?"

I licked my lips. I didn't remember the last time I had eaten or had anything to drink, but for some reason I wasn't feeling either hungry or thirsty. I felt parched, but not thirsty and the thought of water was appealing. "No, I'm fine. Thanks though."

She nodded. "I don't have any homework this weekend. Want to go see a movie?"

I shook my head. "No. I don't want to be around people right now." I stood up and started pacing. My skin began to itch as if something was crawling on me and I felt dirt on my skin. "Do you mind if I take a shower? Borrow some clothes?"

"No, go ahead. I think I still have some things of yours in the closet."

I smiled as she gathered up clothes and a towel for me. "Bonnie?" I said before I closed the door to the bathroom that connected to her room and the room next to hers. She looked my way, waiting for me to continue. "You'd tell me if something was wrong right?"

"Of course," she said, her eyes begging me to believe her. I simply nodded and closed the door. I got under the hot spray and scrubbed my skin until it was raw. I couldn't understand for the life of me why my skin burned for no reason. I glanced at the ring on my finger. _Why did Damon tell me to leave this on? What wasn't everyone telling me?_ Both questions haunted me as I scrubbed again until I couldn't stand the water on my skin anymore.

I shut off the water and stood in front of the mirror with a towel around my body. My hair clung to my shoulders and back in dripping wet waves. I looked different. My features were more enhanced, sharper than they were before. My eyes had a glimmer of something I had never seen before. I looked more like...like...the name I was searching my mind for never came as I tore my eyes away from the mirror and got dressed. I towel dried my hair and used Bonnie's make-up before going back into her room. "Thanks."

"Feel better?" she asked as I sat down on the bed.

I nodded, "A little."

"Well, I have cards, board games, the Wii's downstairs. Anything sound interesting?" she asked.

"I haven't played the Wii in awhile," I said and followed her downstairs to the game room. She set it up for tennis, obviously in the mood for something competitive and handed me one of the remotes. "This should be good."

After our third round of games, I was beginning to hear a steady thump coming from somewhere in the room. "Elena?" she asked when she noticed I was no longer paying attention to the game.

"Do you hear that?" I asked, looking around the room again. It was getting louder and louder although the pace was the same.

"Hear what?"

I turned to look at her. My response died before it reached my lips as my eyes latched onto her throat. That's where the noise was coming from. I could hear her heart beating loudly in my ears. At the moment, it was all I heard. She swallowed hard and her heart rate increased. I could sense the blood rushing through her veins and licked my lips. I wasn't even aware that I had been advancing on her until the lamp on the end table behind her crashed to the floor. It brought me back to reality and I stepped back, running a hand through my hair. She was frightened and I couldn't blame her. "I'm sorry," I said and stepped back again.

She sat next to me as I sank onto the couch and put my heads in my hand. "It's okay," she said and put her arm around my shoulders. "Come on, maybe we should just play cards," she suggested.

I nodded and wiped a few tears from my face before I followed her to the kitchen. We played any game we could think of until it was time to get ready to meet Caroline and Matt at the Grill. "I don't think I should go."

"Why not?" she asked as she did her make-up in the bathroom. I sat on the edge of the tub and watched her. "They want to see you."

"I know, I just don't think I'm ready to handle the public." I was thinking about the fact that I had almost attacked her for no apparent reason.

"You'll be fine," she promised. "Please don't make me go alone."

I grinned from the fake pout on her face in the mirror. I sighed and nodded. "I guess I'll go."

She shrugged. "It's not like you had a choice."

* * *

It was six when we left, borrowing her father's car. I followed her to the entrance, still unsure of whether or not I really wanted to go in there. She grabbed my hand and squeezed it for reassurance. The room was pretty crowded for a Saturday and I tensed. It felt like I was being put in a spotlight. Heads turned in my direction, heads that didn't usually turn. As I moved through the crowd behind Bonnie I noticed my moves were full of a confidence and grace that usually wasn't there. "Glad you could make it," Caroline said as she hugged me.

Matt nodded in agreement and my eyes slid past him to the bar. John, Alaric, and Damon were sitting there with drinks in hand, facing my direction. I looked at Bonnie. "What are they all doing here together?"

She glanced in their direction and then back to me. "I don't know. Just ignore them," she said and went to rack up the balls to start a game. We played for half an hour before they ordered food.

"You sure you don't want anything?" Matt asked as he sat with me at the table while Bonnie and Caroline played.

I was playing with the straw in the glass of water Bonnie insisted I have. "I'm sure."

"You okay?"

I nodded again, "I'm fine."

By the time their food came, my hands were clammy and it was hard to breathe. I felt as though I was being suffocated which I found odd. I had never been claustrophobic and I was beginning to panic. I closed my eyes and my hearing picked up several beating hearts and the flow of blood pounded in my ears. I turned to see Damon starting at me with concern that was mirrored on John and Alaric as well. I pushed myself to my feet and started moving for the door. "Elena?" Matt and Bonnie called after me.

I didn't stop until I was outside. I leaned against the wall and took deep breaths, my hand at my throat out of a nervous habit. When I opened my eyes, Damon was standing not far in front of me. "What's happening to me?" I asked him, the ache that had washed over me slowly subsiding.

He reached up and tucked my hair behind my ear. "We need to talk," he said and then stepped closer so that he could grab my hand. His fingers laced with mine and I was too stunned to pull away from him. John, Alaric, and Bonnie came out of the bar as well; each of them wearing a mask of sadness.

"Where are we going?" Bonnie asked.

"To the boarding house," Damon said and tugged slightly at my hand so that I followed him to his car. I wanted to ask him every question that popped into my mind, but the way he gripped the steering wheel made me stay silent.

Fifteen minutes later, Bonnie, Alaric, and John were sitting on the sofa as Damon and I stood in front of the fireplace facing them. I looked at everyone. "Okay, why is everyone looking at me as if they've seen a ghost?"

Damon's lip twitched, but no one else moved. "I need you to close your eyes and concentrate on the last thing you remember," he said.

"I don't-"

"Just do it," he demanded and I sighed.

I closed my eyes and let my mind go blank. It was awkward to know that everyone was staring at me. "Katherine," I said after a few minutes. "That's who I was comparing myself to earlier."

I had opened my eyes to see everyone shifting uncomfortably. "And?"

I crossed my arms around my chest. "Just tell me what happened. I'm not going to remember by myself."

"That's not how it works," Alaric said quietly from the couch.

"How what works."

"Elena, it doesn't matter what happened, all you have to know is that you're in Transition. What you do now is your choice," Damon said from beside me.

"Transition?" I repeated trying to remember what that meant.

"Elena, you don't have forever. Not yet. Not unless you drink, and it needs to be done soon."

Bonnie stood up and shoved Damon out of the way you did to an annoying sibling, not to someone who had tried to kill you. She had a small pocket knife in one hand as she raised her wrist up. "Bonnie!" I cried out as she slit her wrist enough to draw a little blood. She didn't even flinch.

The sight of the blood seemed to erase everything else from the room. My ears filled with the sound of it rushing through her veins. There was a pang of hunger unlike anything I had ever felt before as I took a fumbling step towards her and then stopped myself. "Elena, take it. I don't want to lose you twice," she begged and stepped closer.

The rich coppery scent filled my nose and I moaned as the pressure building in my upper jaw let go and I felt the two sharp indents as my canines lengthened into fangs. My eyes moved from the blood to her eyes and she nodded slowly. "You can't undo this Elena. There's no going back," John warned.

I nodded as I cupped her hand softly and brought it to my lips. My teeth slid into her skin and the rich, metallic taste filled my mouth with a satisfaction I never knew existed. I pulled her closer and drank deeply. Her body had relaxed and I used my other arm to hold her up. After the first few gulps, I became aggressive and I couldn't stop; I didn't want to stop. Her breath quickened, letting me know that I was hurting her and I hissed as Damon pulled her away from me. "That's enough," he said sternly, cupping my chin in his hand.

I licked my lips to get the extra blood off and as I looked into his eyes, memories came flooding back to me. Stefan losing control, Stefan's disappearance, Damon...so much of Damon. I stumbled back, keeping my eyes on his. I began to tremble as I realized everything that was going on. "Stefan..." I breathed, picturing the pile of rubble that had crashed on top of him; burying him in the catacombs of the old church. My love for Damon burned in the back of my mind and I ran from the room then. It was too much all at once. I raced to the porch and hurled over the railing as I realized what I had just done. I turned to see Damon lounging on the door frame. I ran a shaky hand through my hair. "I'm a vampire now." He nodded and came to hold me to him. "I remember everything," I whispered and clung to him.


	2. Chapter 2

TWO

It was some time after midnight and the others had left quite some time ago. Damon and I were laying on his bed facing each other with little space between us. We had been discussing the events that had led up to the moment where I had died. "Then where was Jeremy?"

He grinned. "He was at the tomb."

"Why in the world was he there?"

"He was with Anna; doing what teenagers do best when their parents tell them you can't see someone."

I stared at him in disbelief. "Are you kidding me? All of this happened because he-" I stopped. "Then where was he before? Alaric said he wasn't in school either."

"He wasn't. He'd been spending the day with Anna. She had convinced him that he should ditch and spend the day with her."

I nodded, "Is he okay?"

"He's fine. I was the one that found them and when I told Anna what happened, she erased his memory. He doesn't know anything about vampires now and Anna promised she'd stay away from him. Her and Pearl are leaving town with Harper tomorrow I think. The only vampires left are these two right here," he said pointing at himself and I.

"Okay, what am I supposed to say to Jenna? Wasn't it Wednesday night that this happened?" It had been two and a half days that I had been out. "Is that normal? To forget what happened before you died?"

He shrugged. "Most do, but in very rare cases they forget. You woke up disoriented didn't you? It depends on the circumstances of the death. You were out for days, most people are only out for a few hours at most," he explained. "As for Jenna, I don't know what you should do."

"I think I should tell her. Everyone around her knows except for her and she's going to notice both that something's different and that I'll never get older."

"I'll tell your fa- John," he corrected. "That you want to tell her and we'll arrange it."

I shook my head, "I want to tell her by myself. All of you there would probably be too much." After a few moments of silence, I asked, "What happened to Katherine?"

He pulled the chain that he was wearing from under his shirt and dangling at the end was a ring. Katherine's new ring. "John and Alaric stayed behind to watch her while I brought you back here. I went back there and took her ring. We waited there until the sun came and watched her body burn and then turn to ash. She's just a pile of fertilizer right now. I hope someone grows vervain in that area."

I put my hand on his face and smiled lightly. "I'm sorry Damon."

"She deserved it. I was blinded by love, but her spell wore off and I was finally able to see her for what she was. I don't need her anymore; I have you."

He kissed the inside of my wrist and pushed my hand away. All I could see was Stefan's ring on my finger and my non-beating heart felt more broken than it already was. "And Stefan?"

"After we witnessed Katherine's death, we went back to the catacombs and the rock pile had been strewn about. We saw blood, but no body."

"He's still alive?" Hope and fear were mixed together on that fact.

"I don't know if he got out himself. If he did, that means he's extremely powerful. It could also have been Katherine who dug him out. She mentioned that she hated me for killing Stefan so I don't know if she dug him out before coming to fight us. Don't assume he's dead, but don't assume he's alive either."

I nodded and laid on my back to stare at the ceiling. "What I am going to tell everyone else? What did you tell the school for that matter?"

"The school thinks you're sick and Jenna doesn't notice a thing. As for everyone else, tell them that Stefan left for good and you don't know where. Tell them the truth, without telling them the truth."

"I can't lie like that to everyone."

"Hunters are also natural born liars. It will get easier over time to lie to your prey. Speaking of, if we're going to make forever work, I need to know what type of cuisine you'll be eating," he said, smirking from ear-to-ear.

I smiled. "I don't have to feed from humans all the time right? Blood bags will be enough?"

"You'll have to feed from a human at least three times a month just to keep up your strength. I'll show you how to do that without giving in to the temptation to kill."

I turned my head. "There's a lot of things that you'll have to show me."

"I was planning on it," he returned and then slid off the bed. I pulled myself into a sitting position as I watched him rummage through his shelving unit for something. He held up a jewelry box and came back to sit by me. "I had this made for you."

Inside was a ring; one that protect me against the sun. This one was mine. I went to pull Stefan's ring off, but found it harder than I thought because of the memories that were still attached to it. He handed me a silver chain. "Thank you," I breathed and put Stefan's ring on the chain and then put it around my neck. "It's beautiful," I added as I put the ring on my finger. It was pure cerulean blue with some sort of a design in the middle of it. "When did you get this?"

"Thursday while you were sleeping. Bonnie came over and helped me make it."

I looked at his ring; it was black with the same design in the middle. Katherine's ring around his neck had been a light blue as Stefan's had been a dark green. It was how you identified a vampire. "So now we both have back-ups."

He nodded. "Which some of us need more than others," he said pointedly at me.

"Hey, in my defense, I only truly died once."

He watched me play with the new ring on my finger. "What?"

"I just never imagined what it would be like to be a vampire. Do you always feel this powerful? Like you're invincible and nothing can harm you?"

"Always," he assured me.

"It's very ironic how being dead leaves me feeling more alive than I've ever felt." I smirked as I moved gracefully to sit on top of him, straddling his hips. I leaned down so that my hair was shielding our faces from the room. "I wonder if I can put these feelings to proper use?"

He cupped my face and brought my lips down to his. It felt more amazing than the last time we were together. This time there was no 'what if someone caught us' feeling and we could take our time. At the rate we were tearing at each other's clothes, we weren't going to waste a second of it. He had flipped me onto my back and was leaving a trail of bite marks down my throat, chest, and stomach. It was his way of teasing me until he had worked off the rest of my clothes. He then kissed his way back up, leaving an identical trail on my other side before he reclaimed my lips. I kissed him hard, my hands exploring the taunt muscles that covered is chest.

It was my turn to try the biting thing; to leave my mark on him. I moved so that I was straddling him again and then leaned down and placed a small kiss at the base of his throat. I opened my mouth and felt my fangs lengthening. It was the strangest feeling; it was even stranger when they retracted. He nodded once and cupped the back of my head. My fangs slid into his skin and his blood filled my mouth. I had tasted it before, but I had never _tasted_ it before. It wasn't like Bonnie's had been; this was sweeter. It wasn't as coppery, but it set my body on fire regardless. I pulled back and looked at him, two thin lines of blood coated my chin until he lapped them up.

He kissed me once more before setting my hips down on top of him. I groaned into the kiss, my fangs still out. Every touch, every movement was made better a thousandfold by having these heightened senses. As I moved my hips in rhythm with his, I couldn't help but think that if dying was the price of forever; it was worth every cent.

* * *

Every muscle in body should have been in blissful agony the next morning, but I felt no different than if I had slept peacefully. Or slept at all. I grinned at the sight of Damon sleeping beside me. The sheets were tangled around his waist, leaving his chest exposed. The memories of last night's most recent events danced in front of my eyes briefly. My hand slithered down his abdomen and to where the sheet was when I felt him stir. "You do that and I can assure you that we won't leave the house all day."

"Is that a promise?" I asked before kissing him soundly. I pulled back and he feigned looking hurt. "As much as I would like to, I have to go talk to Jenna."

I made my way to Stefan's room where all my clothes were and froze at the threshold. "I'll get your stuff."

"No, I have to go in there eventually," I said and picked up the clothes that I saw before returning to the hall. He closed the door behind me and I gave him the clothes that I didn't need so he could put them in his room. "I'll go through it more later," I said before headed into the bathroom.

I turned on the water and waited for it to heat up a little before getting in. Not long after I closed the curtain was Damon behind me. "Want company?" he whispered in my ear and I laughed.

After our shower, we dressed and headed downstairs. "Alright, I'm going to need to borrow your car."

"Why?" he asked, heading down towards the basement. I was about to ask him what he was doing when he returned with a few blood bags. "Eat before you go over there, that way you won't be tempted to demonstrate what you are."

He tossed one to me and I caught it, unsure of exactly how I was supposed to eat. "What am I supposed to do with this?"

His eyes were laughing at me. "Bite the bag like you would a human or pour it in a glass. Either way is fine."

I stared at it more and then attempted to bite it. It was trickier than it looked and by the time I finished it, I felt silly. "Now I know why you don't like these things," I said as I wet a washcloth to wipe away the blood on my chin. Luckily none had gotten on my clothes. "Keys?" I asked.

"Elena, you can move faster than a speeding train, you don't need a car."

"Oh," I said, having completely forgotten about that aspect. I made sure I had my phone before approaching the door. "I will call you after I tell her."

"Elena?"

"Yeah?"

"Give your necklace to her while you talk. Until you get control on your compulsion, you might not even realize you're doing it."

My hand flew to my throat where, sure enough, the vervain necklace was still there. The chain was shorter than the one with Stefan's ring on it. I nodded, "Thanks for the warning."

I stepped off the porch and in two minutes flat I was in front of my house. There was at least a good ten miles between here and the boarding house and I wasn't even out of breath. Like everything else I was discovering, it was a strange, intoxicating new feeling. I went to open the door and hesitated. I hadn't been invited in. I knocked and waited for Jenna to answer. "Elena? Why are you knocking? Get in here," she demanded as she moved out of the way so I could step into the house.

I felt like a stranger in my own house as I took off the necklace and handed it to her. "Can you put this on?" She saw the seriousness in my eyes and put it on without saying anything. "Is Jeremy here?"

"No, he's out to lunch with John. Those two have been hanging out lately; it's driving me insane. Have you eaten yet?"

I hadn't even realized how late in the day it was. I shook my head, "I'm fine thanks. Look, Jenna, we need to talk."

"Is everything okay?" she asked as she followed me to the living room and sat facing me on the couch.

"It will be," I replied and tried to find the right place to start. When I couldn't, I started from the beginning, the very beginning, with how Stefan and Damon met Katherine in 1864. It took nearly an hour and a half to tell her everything. "Jenna, I died on Wednesday night. I'm a vampire now, just like Damon."

She was stunned and I couldn't blame her. She was still taking in everything I had told her and trying to process it like I had when I first discovered what Stefan was. "But you look so _normal_," she finally said.

"I know. Raising a teenager doesn't seem so hard now does it?" I joked.

She stood up and pulled me to her. I was not expecting her to take it this well. "No, but I swear if you ever keep anything like this from me again, I will hurt you. Understand?" I nodded and she pulled away. I realized she was still in shock and that was alright, everything would hit her later. "John's your father?" she asked randomly. I had mentioned it once during the tale and I assumed it just registered that I had said it at all.

"He still hasn't explained it all to me just yet."

She nodded again and crossed her arms. "So does this mean you're moving out?"

"I think it would be for best. Jeremy doesn't know anything anymore and I don't want to be in danger of my cravings."

"Just so you know, you're welcome anytime. Your room will still be here if you need a place to stay."

"Thanks," I said and headed to the stairs. I decided to pack my things while I was here. When I opened the door to my room, Damon was lounging on my bed. "I told you I wanted to tell her myself."

"Yes, yes you did. When do I ever listen?"

"Good point," I said, a little surprised that I hadn't heard him come in.

"What are you doing?" he asked after I started shoving things in duffel bags. I was only bringing the essentials. I would get the rest as I needed it.

"Packing. It would go faster if you helped."

"Where are you going?" he asked in a playful voice.

I threw him a sideways glance. "Funny."

"I don't recall inviting you to move in."

I grinned as I moved to wrap my arms around his waist, sliding my hands into his back pockets. "You wanted me forever. No turning back now," I breathed and looked up at him.

He smirked and put his forehead against mine. "I may have been a bit to rash," he teased before kissing me.

I pulled away laughing. "Come on, just grab clothes and start shoving. Have you seen my diary?" I asked.

"I burned it."

"You what?" I asked, spinning around to look at him.

"You wrote a little too much in that thing. It isn't something I want laying around where the wrong person could get it," he said and then smiled devilishly. "It made for a good read though."

I through my teddy bear at him and he caught it. "I wasn't very nice about you in that book."

"Not really no. Now, stop talking and start packing."

It had taken another half an hour to pack three large duffel bags full of clothes and one full of accessories, make-up, toiletries, and whatever else I thought I might need in the immediate future. I grabbed my car keys that were sitting on my nightstand even though I didn't remember putting them there. "See, cars are good for some things."

"I guess," he said as we carried two a piece and headed downstairs. I took one last look at my room and shut the door behind me.

John and Jeremy were just pulling into the driveway behind Jenna's car as we closed the trunk. Jeremy went inside without a word to me, making me wonder if Anna had really done what Damon said she had. "He's fine," John assured me. "How are you?"

I nodded, "I'm good. I just got done telling Jenna everything."

"Everything?" he asked, his eyes widening.

I nodded again. "So you have fun explaining that to her, but she promised to keep it from Jeremy."

"That reminds me. We still have to talk," he said.

"Tomorrow? We can do lunch."

"The Grill at two?" he suggested.

"I'll be there," I said and he went inside. I looked at Damon. "Let's go," I added and we drove back to the boarding house.


	3. Chapter 3

**a/n: I think for this story, I'm going to be pulling some inspiration from the books...so if you've read them, you'll know what I'm talking about. If you haven't, you'll be surprised. Thank you so much for the reviews!! This one's a short chapter but I promise the next one will be longer!**

THREE

"Didn't you have school today?" Damon asked as I got ready for lunch with John.

I paused and then shrugged. "As much as I would like to graduate, I don't see how much good my diploma will because I can only use it for a few years anyway. I missed two days last week, it won't kill me to miss another one." I stopped fidgeting with my hair and looked at him. "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why ask me about school?"

He shrugged and laid back down on the bed. "I just assumed you would have wanted a few more weeks of being normal."

I sat down beside him and put one hand on his chest. "I've accepted the fact that I'm never going to turn eighteen, that it would be pointless to go to school. You mocked Stefan when he did it."

"Yes, but he hadn't been to school in over a hundred years. It seemed ridiculous. You're just finishing what you started and then I can show you what it's like to be a real vampire."

"Mmm," I muttered as I leaned down to kiss him quickly. "Can't wait." I stood up and began to leave but paused at the door and turned back to him. It was strange to think that since I had met him and Stefan, I had never imagined that I would be here, with him, not knowing if Stefan was alive or not.

He smiled and raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"

I shrugged, "Just thinking. I'll see you later," I said and sped out the door and to the Grill. I was there in five minutes flat with ten minutes to spare. Luckily John was early and I wondered if that was where I got it from. I shook that thought aside; it was still too eerie for me.

"Elena," he said as he met me by the entrance. I inclined my head to him and he opened the door for me. We got a table at the back of the restaurant and I sat with my face to the door so that I could watch everyone coming in and out. "I'm glad you came."

"Why wouldn't I?"

"I just wouldn't blame you if you hadn't." He stopped as a waitress took our orders and he looked at me with curiosity. "You're eating?"

"Am I not supposed to?" I asked. I was full from the blood I had before I had gotten ready. "My senses are magnified and this food tasted good before, I want to see what it tastes like now."

He couldn't hold back his smirk no matter how hard he tried. "Before I say anything, I want to apologize for everything."

"Apology accepted. Just tell me one thing; why did you want Stefan and not Damon?"

"I would have preferred that both of them were out of your life, but it was Stefan's jealousy that was deadly to you. Your mother is furious with me at the moment because you turned when she sent me here to stop that from happening," he said tightly.

"On that note, why didn't you tell me sooner that you were my father? Did Dad ever know about this?"

"No, your father delivered you at the hospital, but Isobel never told them who the father was. She would come here sometimes to visit a friend. I saw her and we started hanging out. One thing led to another and...then you came along. We were young and she did the right thing. The day she had you was the last time I had seen her until recently. She gave me this ring that night. I had no idea she was investigating vampires until she tracked me down as one. She knew that the Salvatore's were back in town and told me I had to come here and stop you from getting involved. Only I was too late. I wish I could have told you sooner, but it never seemed like the right time to have that discussion."

I nodded, "I understand." I took a sip of the water that was in front of me. "But you will understand if I hold some reservations in trusting you."

His lips twitched. "I wouldn't expect anything less."

We sat in silence, unsure of what else to say to each other. "So...what was my mother like?" I asked even though it felt unnatural to call Isobel my mother. I wouldn't be saying that again if I could help it.

"She was like you. Strong, independent, sweet. Everything good about you is from her. She's different now. She's like Katherine now; selfish and cruel."

"She can't be that bad if she wanted to protect me from all of this," I countered.

In the blink of an eye, there was a brunette woman standing beside the table, smiling down at both of us. "I'm glad you think that way Elena. I would be devastated if you hated me."

I had gone still all over; rigid with anticipation of an attack. She only slid into the booth beside John leaned forward, supporting her head in her hands. "Isobel?" I said quietly.

Her arrogance vanished, instantly replaced with annoyance. "Who else would it be?" she asked. She narrowed her eyes as she studied my face. She leaned back, a bitter smile playing on her lips. "God, you look so much like Katherine. You could have been twins."

I wanted to call Damon, but from the intensity of her gaze, I knew it would be a bad idea. "Don't compare me to her," I demanded. "I'm nothing like her."

She laughed. "You are very much like her. Not completely, but I see a lot of her in you."

"Isobel," John said in a tone of warning.

She glared at him before turning her attention back to me. "I just wanted to talk and get to know my daughter."

"Why? You've had plenty of time for that before," I said and scanned the crowd for the escape routes. I looked at John who was clearly unhappy about Isobel's being here. "I think we should catch up another time," I said to him and stood up.

She was on her feet just as fast as I was. Her arms were crossed in front of her chest and her head was held high. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Anywhere away from you," I sneered and pushed past her.

She grabbed my wrist and was surprised when I pulled out of her grasp. She wasn't expecting me to be that strong for a newborn and neither was I. However, I didn't let the surprise show on my face. "If I have to start killing your friends and family to get you to talk to me, I'll do it," she threatened.

I stared at her and she smirked in satisfaction as I slid back into my seat. "Fine, I'm listening."

"Isobel, I don't think we should do this here," John said on my behalf. The place was practically empty and what people were here were busy trying not to look at us from the scene I had just caused.

She ignored him and reached across to grab my hand. I instantly pulled it back, pushing my ring back down. "I want the inventions that John Gilbert made back in the day."

I looked at John for this one. The only one that I knew about was the watch that pointed to vampires. "You'll have to ask him for those. The Council has those, don't they?" I asked.

She gave me a blank stare. "I _know_ that. That's why I was asking him."

I said nothing as she turned to him. "You have two days to get them all to me or I take that ring back and kill you myself. You, Elena, are very intriguing to me."

"I am?"

"I can sense unfathomable power emanating from you right now. I've heard legends of those in Transition feeding from witches and gaining more powers, but I've never actually met anyone who had tried it."

I felt cold all over. I had been wondering about that sort of thing too. It didn't help that since my death anything relating to me as a vampire was odd and not normal. I defied all the usual process. It would only be appropriate that this was one of them too. "What would that do?"

"I don't know yet, but I'd like to find out," she said and smiled. I vaguely remembered that she had sought out Damon because she was well versed in vampire legend and lore before he turned her.

"I'm sure you would, but I will not be anyone's experiment."

She nodded and pulled something out of her purse. "Not now, but this might change your mind."

She put a leather bound book on the table. It was black with a hint of brown here and there. It was well used, the spine was creased almost to the breaking point and the pages were well worn. I picked it up carefully, and realized what it was immediately. "Katherine's diary."

Isobel's brow rose, she wasn't expecting me to know what this was. "Very good."

"Where did you get it?" I asked.

"That's not important. What's important is the content. My number is on the last page, when you read it, call me and we'll talk about it," she said. The air shifted as she sped out of the Grill, leaving John and I both stunned.

I looked at him. "Why would she want me to read this?"

He shook his head. "I have no idea."

I put it aside for now. "Are you going to give her the inventions?"

He shrugged, "She can have them. The only reason she wants them is because she doesn't want me to have them. If I had done what she'd asked and protected you..."

"You couldn't have prevented any of this from happening, even if you tried your hardest. Give her the inventions and let me know if you need anything from Damon," I said and stood up, gathering my things in the process. "Thanks for the lunch anyway. I guess I wasn't in the mood to eat it after all."

"Elena?" he said and I waited for him to continue. "Don't mention Isobel to Damon or the fact that she gave you the journal. There might be some unpleasant things that he's not ready to hear."

"I wasn't going to tell him about the journal, but I wasn't going to keep the rest of it from him. I want him to be able to trust me. Keeping this from him would not be a good idea. I'll be in touch," I said and raced to the boarding house.


	4. Chapter 4

FOUR

I had decided to go to school the next day. Damon made me take at least four blood bags. I was afraid that something was going to pop them and they were going to leak in my purse, but they didn't. At lunch, Bonnie and I locked ourselves in the bathroom so that I could eat. "You didn't have to come in here with me while I did this," I said as I cleaned up.

"No, but it's better than watching you feed the other way."

I turned to her as I dried my chin. "Thank you for what you did the other night."

"We all thought you really were dead. That you weren't going to wake up again. Damon said the average time between death and the Awakening was twelve hours at the most. All I could think of when I offered you my blood was that I never wanted to feel that way again."

I hugged her and pulled back before I could hurt her. "You really are the best."

"Don't you ever forget that," she said with a fake glare. "So why did you come back to school?"

"Damon wanted me to."

Her head tipped to the side. "Really?"

"It didn't make any sense to me either, but here I am. I needed to talk to you anyway. Besides, if I'm going to stay here, I'll need to be as normal as possible."

She nodded, "What did you want to talk about?"

"Isobel. I was having lunch with John yesterday and she showed up. She gave me one of Katherine's old journals that I have yet to read and told John he had to hand over the inventions by today or she'd kill him."

"Will she?"

"Probably. She didn't seem very warm and fuzzy."

"Why did she want you to read the journals?"

I shrugged. "I guess I'll find that out when I read it." It was a few moments of silence. "Have you seen Jeremy since this happened? Damon said Anna erased his memory because she and her mother left town, but I saw him Sunday night and he wouldn't even talk to me."

"He's been around, but every time I go to talk to him, he gets up and leaves. To be honest, I don't think she erased his memory. Not entirely. I think you should talk to him," she said.

I took a deep breath. "Has either Matt or Caroline been asking questions?"

"Caroline acts like she doesn't care, but I think she's waiting for us to come to her and Matt...he's been asking about you nonstop since you ran out of the Grill on Saturday. I've been ignoring him because I don't know what to say."

I nodded. "I guess I should talk to him too." I sighed and leaned my head back on the cool wall of the bathroom. "Jeremy, Matt, and Caroline. Anyone else I have to tell about this?"

"You don't have to tell them if you don't want to. There's nothing they can do about it anyway. Matt's going to be furious with you as it is because you died and he wasn't there to save you. You know how he gets. As for Caroline, she already knows what Damon is."

I shook my head. "I think Damon made her forget, but I'm not sure that I want her to remember."

She grinned and nodded in agreement. "I know you haven't mentioned this nor do either of us want to think about this yet, but, you're not going to stay in Mystic Falls for more than a few years. Is it really worth telling anyone else that you don't have to about vampires? Will it make that much of a difference in their lives?" I opened my mouth to answer, but she rushed on to continue. "Don't answer me, just think about it before you talk to Matt. Jeremy, obviously you need to talk to him because that boy gets in way over his head much too fast."

"What would I do without you?" I asked as the bell rang.

"Let's hope you never have to find out," she said and walked with me out into the hall where we parted ways.

After school, I waited for Jeremy by his class. Alaric let me leave a few minutes early so that I could get him. He came out of the classroom and tried to slip away hiding in the crowd. He wasn't expecting me to be as fast as I was and was a little surprised and angry that I had beat him to the exit. "Elena, I'm-"

"You're not busy. We need to talk," I said, folding my arms across my chest.

"Elena-" There was a little fear in his eyes and I tried to ignore it.

"I wasn't giving you an option Jere," I added tightly.

"Elena!" Matt called, making both of us turn in his direction.

"Not now Matt. Jeremy and I need to talk. I'll call you later," I said, knowing full well that I was blowing him off, but I had bigger issues to worry about at the moment. "Did you eat?"

"Yes."

"Then we'll go to the-"

"Will you just take me home?"

I said nothing, knowing it was useless to try and talk to him. I decided to take him to the boarding house. Fortunately, Damon wasn't there so anything Jeremy admitted would just be between us. "We need to talk," I said firmly as I dragged him into the living room.

He was looking around the way I had the first time I had been in here. He was taking in all the expensive decor with awe. I took a step towards him and he cowered away, leaving me stunned. "Don't."

"Jeremy, it's me. Your sister."

"You're not my sister."

His words cut right through me. "Maybe not by blood, but that doesn't change how we were raised," I said tightly, holding myself back from him. "Why are you acting like this?" I asked.

"You told me if I ever talked to you again, you would kill first Anna and then me."

His words turned my blood icy. "When? When did I tell you this?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"Tuesday."

My blood boiled in anger. How could Katherine do something like this? "Jeremy, it wasn't me that said that. Trust me; it may have looked like me, but it wasn't."

He was shaking his head. "How could it not have been you?"

"Please, don't go anywhere," I said and sped up to Stefan's room to get the picture of Katherine and then headed back down all before he would have had time to take three steps to the door.

"How did you-" he started looking from me to the stairs and then backed away as he realized what it meant. "You're a vampire," he breathed in awe.

I nodded briefly and showed him the picture. "This is a girl named Katherine Pierce. She's the one who started all of this and she's the one who threatened you. I would never do something like that to you or to Anna."

"Why would she come to me?" he asked as he took the picture and silently compared the portrait to me.

"Like I said, we need to talk," I said and moved to one of the chairs.

He followed me and I gave him the shortened version of the truth. When I was done, he sat back and let out a low whistle. "So that makes you my...cousin?"

I smirked. "I know, you couldn't wait write me off as a family member, but..."

He was smiling too. "How come you just didn't tell me about this in the first place?"

"Because, I felt horrible about what happened to Vickie," I said and realized that I really couldn't tell Matt the truth. He would hate me forever. "You can talk about this to Mr. Saltzman, Uncle John, Jenna, Damon, Bonnie, and I, but no one else."

"You're not going to tell Matt? Vickie was his sister."

"I know that," I snapped. "Look, I'm always going to think of you as my younger brother which means I'm not going to tell you everything and I'll do my best to protect you, but from now on, I will tell you all the important stuff. Okay?"

He was going to say something else when the door opened to a whistling Damon. "Oh there you are. You're incredibly hard to track down. But now that I have you-"

Jeremy stood up and Damon stopped in his tracks. "We have company," I said and smiled apologetically.

"Why are you here?" he asked, staring at Jeremy.

"I'll explain later," I said and handed Jeremy my keys. He stared at me in surprise. "I won't be needing it anymore, but I'll borrow it if I need it."

"You're giving me your car?"

"Don't make me regret it," I said and opened the door for him. "I'll see you later."

"You're not coming home?"

I shook my head and looked at Damon. "I'm already home."

Jeremy only nodded before waving at both of us. I shut the door and as I turned around, Damon was there, flattening me against the door. He grinned before kissing me and then pulled back when I started to wrap my arms around him. "Why was your brother here?"

_Cousin_, I thought and slipped out from between him and the door. "Anna didn't erase all of his memory and as it turns out, Katherine threatened him, pretending she was me the other day. I just explained things in minimal detail. He knows who he can talk to and who he can't. He'll be fine; I can't be there to protect him from everything. It's better he knows what he's dealing with."

He nodded as he followed me to the kitchen where I made poured two glasses of blood. As he took the glass, he kept his eyes on me. "Your mother came over while you were at school."

"She's not my mother," I said bitterly and drank deeply. "What did she want?"

He shrugged, "The usual." My eyebrow rose at that. "To threaten me, blood, answers to questions I didn't know. Speaking of answers, what is that leather bound book that you had with you when you came home?"

"Just something Isobel wants me to read," I said as I rinsed out both glasses. "She seemed interested in the fact that my first meal was from a witch. Do you know if it would have affected me in any way?" I asked. "I know she's relatively young, but we were both a little stunned that I was able to pull away from her yesterday. I've only been able pull away from you, and I'm sure that it was because you let me."

He grinned, "You know me well. As far as witch blood, no, I don't know much about it's properties. She was the researcher, not me."

I looked away from him then and he cleared his throat. "That was helpful."

"I do what I can," he said and stood up. "But, even when you were a human, you took vampire blood differently. When the effects should have worn off within twenty-four hours, yours lasted for days. You said she could sense power radiating from you and I agree. There's something different about you and it's not just that you're a vampire."

"Something worth investigating?" I asked.

"If you want to, we will."

I nodded and moved back to the couch. He stretched out and I laid on top of him. "Can I ask you something? It's about Katherine."

"If you must," he said even though I could feel him tense.

"Did she ever mention anything about when she was turned?"

He was thoughtful for a moment before shaking he head. I craned my neck to look up at him. "We didn't do much talking. That's what she had Stefan for."

I pulled away and sat on the opposite side of the couch. "And you were willing to spend eternity with someone you didn't talk to?"

His eyes glimmered with the want to smirk, but his face remained emotionless. "We were...exceptionally good at _not_ talking."

I rolled my eyes and shook my head. "Again, very helpful."

"Why the interest?"

I shrugged, "Just tracing my heritage I guess." His jaw twitched, but he said nothing. "What?"

"Isobel was very much into her family tree."

I groaned, not wanting to hear about my likeness to her either. "Thanks."

He grinned and pulled me to my feet. "Come on."

"Where are we going?" I asked as he led me to the door.

"I'm going to show you how to hunt."

"Damon!"

He stopped and stared at me, urging me to calm down with his gorgeous eyes. "Relax, we're practicing on little woodland creatures. They don't tattle and try to ruin your fun."

"It's not even dark yet, someone might see us," I said and stepped back inside, pulling him with me after I grabbed his hands. "We can do something else in the meantime."

"Mhmmm....Have I told you that I loved you lately?"

"Show me; don't tell me," I murmured and brought his lips down to mine.

* * *

**A/N: okay, I'm done with Elena recapping everything that happened :) now I'll get on with the actual story line. Thanks for the reviews!!**


	5. Chapter 5

FIVE

I woke myself up by tossing and turning but was glad to see that it hadn't disturbed Damon. When I slipped out of bed, he stirred. "Where are you going?"

"I have some homework to finish," I said and realized he was already back asleep. I shook my head in laughter as I wandered downstairs and sought out Katherine's journal. I hesitated before opening it, unsure of what I was going to find. The first sentence alone was enough to make me sick. _Stefan and Damon Salvatore will make excellent candidates for a vampire; if they survive what I have in store for them._ I continued reading until I could feel my eyelids getting heavy as they began to close on their own accord. The book fell out of my hands and landed on the floor with a dull thud that woke me up instantly.

My mind sorted through everything I had just read. She had met Stefan first and when she found out he had an older brother, she made her decision. She mildly explained her game; that she found two powerful brothers and pit them against each other for her attention until it got one, or both of them killed. She had told us that much, but to actually read it made it worse somehow. I had read up until the point where Damon had returned from the Civil War and wondered why he had never mentioned that to me before. I picked up the journal and read the first page over again. I couldn't help think that something was missing; like a few pages had been torn out or she had started a new journal just before arriving to Mystic Falls.

I set it on the coffee table and played with the necklace at my throat. I was feeling antsy and I realized that Damon and I had never gone hunting like he had planned. That was partly my fault and I smiled to myself as I made my way to the basement where the ice chest full of blood bags was kept. After having one, the uneasy feeling of being watched crept up my spine. "Damon?" I called out quietly and turned around, peering into the darkness of the basement.

I listened intently, but there was no other sound other than the usual noise of the house settling. I walked back up to the main level and stopped. Something in the air was off and I inhaled the scent deeply. I looked around, hoping that I was just being paranoid or too tired for any of this to be real, when I noticed a piece of paper on the floor by the stairs. It was still moving as if someone had just put it there. I made my way to it and my blood turned icy as I read it over and over again. _I know what you are and what you've done._

_

* * *

_

I had woken Damon up to show him the note and he said he would talk to Alaric about other hunters that might be in the area. That being said, I went to school to tell Bonnie both what I had read so far and about the note. "This may seem like a stupid question considering what we know, but do you think werewolves exist?" I asked. We were eating lunch outside today since it was over cast. The ring didn't protect against ultra sensitive eyes.

"I don't think it's a stupid question, but it is one I haven't given much thought to. Why?"

I shrugged, "I just started thinking about books and movies. There's never one without the other."

"I think we would have seen one by now though. Everything else happened around here, you would have thought that one would have shown up."

I laughed and shoved her gently; which wasn't as gently as I would have liked it to be. "Sorry, but you should really watch what you say. I mean, this town has seen enough action don't you think."

She was about to answer, but her attention was focused behind me. I sensed who it was even before I turned around to look at Matt. He was walking over to use with a determination I had only seen him use on the football field. "Hey Matt," Bonnie said, attempting to keep things light.

"Can you give us a minute?" he asked, looking at Bonnie.

"I'll see you later," she said and left me alone with Matt.

At first, I thought Jeremy had said something to him after all, but the look on his face now that Bonnie was gone made me think something different. "Elena," he said softly, as if he were trying to remain calm. "Where is Stefan?"

"Matt-"

"And it's not like you to miss this much school." He grabbed my hand and held it tightly. "I know that you said you would come talk to me when you could, but I'm tired of being kept in the dark. I know you talk to Bonnie, but that's different, I get it. We used to tell each other everything too you know and it's killing me that you're avoiding me. Did I do something; say something to make you angry with me? Was I out of line when I yelled at you about Damon?"

His words hurt me almost as much as when Jeremy said that I wasn't his sister. "Matt, Stefan's gone."

"I know, but-"

"No, he's really gone," I said a bit more forcefully. "I don't know where he went, but he's not coming back."

He was stunned and I couldn't blame him. "He left? Why?"

So far, I hadn't been telling him any real lies, but now I had to think of one as fast as I could. "I'm sure you've noticed that we've been having problems ever since the Miss Mystic Falls competition."

"He truly loved you; he wouldn't leave without a good reason," he said, his tone saying he had already guessed why Stefan had left.

I looked down and let go of his hand. "He left because of Damon and I."

He was shaking his head, a sign of disappointment. It was radiating out of him so much so that it was beginning to make me dizzy. "Elena, I've known you all your life and you're not that kind of girl. There had to be more to it than that."

I wanted to tell him that there was, but there was no way to explain it without telling him everything, so I told him the version that would change how he saw me for the rest of his life. "It started off as something innocent like flirtation and then it escalated. Everything happened so fast..."

"Damon's not the kind of person to make a commitment. Nothing with him will last forever."

I had to choke down my laughter at the irony to that statement as I locked gazes with him. "You don't know him like I do. I know you don't want to hear this, but I've made my choice and I wouldn't change it for anything," I said and stood up. "You can hate me if you want, I'll understand."

I didn't wait for his response because the need to feed struck me and it was all I could do not to zoom towards Alaric's classroom where he had allowed me to keep a small cooler in one of his locked cabinets instead of in my purse where they were easier to discover. The hunger evaporated as I saw Isobel leaning against one of the desks when I waked in. They had been arguing and I felt bad for Alaric. She had abandoned him just as she had abandoned me except he had gotten to know her before she left. "Elena, how sweet of you to join," she said in a slightly irritated tone.

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm your mother. I'm allowed to talk to your teachers about your progression."

"You are _not_ my mother," I said and looked at Alaric to see if he was alright.

Her playfulness vanished as I said that and she stood up straighter. "I will always be your true mother Elena."

"I thought John gave you the inventions. Why are you still here?"

She was glowing with anger. "I think I'm going to stay around for awhile."

"Nobody wants you here," I said through gritted teeth.

"Be that as it may," she started and took a few steps towards me. "I'm keeping an eye on you. There's something different about you and I want to know what it is. There has to be a reason you look exactly like her," she said and made her way to the door. She was smirking now, her eyes cruel. "Have you ever asked your boyfriend if he ever tasted a difference?"

I could feel my fangs sliding down and gently pressing against my lower lip. I was angry and she was satisfied that she had gotten me to this point. "Get. Out." I said, enunciating each word.

"Read that journal," she said, winked, and then was gone.

I turned around to Alaric who was in the process of getting out one of the bags for me. He held it out and it was all I could do not to sink my fangs into the bright blue vein in his wrist that I could hear the blood flowing through. "Thank you," I said when I had calmed down and returned to normal. "I think I should go," I added.

"Elena, are you alright?"

"What did she want?"

"She was asking about you."

I stared at him, unable to think of why and then shrugged it off. "I'll see you later," I said and sped through the halls and outside to the boarding house where Damon drinking a glass of whiskey.

"You're home early."

"Matt asked me about Stefan, Isobel was in Alaric's classroom, and I almost attacked him after she left. I needed to get out of there."

I took his glass from him and finished it off. "Now what did she want?"

"She's not leaving any time soon."

"She wants something and once we figure it out, I'll make sure she goes away for good," he promised and pulled me to him.

I nodded against his chest. "I can't wait for graduation next week. I haven't even studied for any of my finals..."

"You might want to get started on that."

I smiled and moved so that my head was in his lap and I could look up at him. "Have you ever come across a werewolf before?"

He stared at me as if I were crazy. "Werewolves?"

"Well, vampires exist and so do witches so I just thought...never mind. It's not important."

"I've heard of them, yes, but I've never met one. Rumor is lycanthropes are a dying race. There's only a handful of them in the world. The disease doesn't transmit as well as it used to with all the stuff people put into processing their foods, they inadvertently built an immunity to it."

"Disease? I thought that was a myth."

"Disease is the perfect way to describe it. You can be born one, but it's nearly impossible to hand down the gene. Besides, the feud of vampires and werewolves in the movies is based on witches and vampires."

I cocked my head to the side. "Witches and vampires?"

"Do you not remember Sheila's hatred of us?"

I nodded a little. "Yeah, I just thought it was because of what happened with Emily. She was sorta friends with Katherine."

He shook his head. "Emily was loyal to Katherine to a certain point because Katherine saved her life. Nobody knows why or when, but it happened. Witches are powerful creatures and if you ever meet one who has reached their true potential, leave immediately because they will always win."

To hear him say that vampires couldn't win shocked me and made me a little afraid. "They're that powerful?"

"Granted, by the time they get to be that powerful, they're old and that's why they hate us so much. They are the powerful ones, but we get the eternity that they crave."

"So no vampire-witches. Got it," I joked and took a deep breath. "You don't think Bonnie would ever hate me do you? I've known her since we were both babies."

That statement made me think of everything I had given up. Bonnie, Caroline, and I had made a pact in Junior High that we would grow old together, but now I was the one who had to watch them grow old. There would be a time when Damon and I would have to leave town and we wouldn't be able to return. He seemed to sense what I was thinking and cupped my face. "Hey, keep your mind of the present. If you can, never ever think of the past or the future. It'll get easier as time goes by."

"I hope so," I mumbled and pushed myself up so that I was sitting next to him shoulder-to-shoulder. "As long as you're with me, it shouldn't be too bad," I whispered and leaned my head on his shoulder.


	6. Chapter 6

**a/n: for whatever reason I can't seem to type Damon correctly on the first try (tragic, I know) :( soooo....if you see it misspelled, let me know and I'll make sure to fix it.**

SIX

When I opened the door Friday morning to leave for school the next morning, I coiled back at the sight of Caroline. My eyes flickered up the stairs, hoping that Damon would stay up there. "What are you doing here?" she asked, pushing her way past me.

"I- What are _you_ doing here?" I countered.

"I went by your house this morning to force you to talk to me and your brother said you were living here now," she said and glanced nervously upstairs. "We were never that close, I get that, but I would have thought that you would tell me when you moved out. That's a big step in your life Elena." She was hurt by the fact that I had told Matt before I told her.

"Caroline-"

"No, let me finish," she demanded as she played with the charm at her throat. "How come you didn't say anything about Stefan breaking up with you? You should have at least told us that. It was obviously devastating to you." She glanced upstairs again and then swallowed hard. "And _why_ are you with Damon?"

I could hear him moving towards the door of the bedroom and tried not to smirk at that image. He was listening to the conversation and he knew I could hear him moving about. "Yes, it wasn't easy when Stefan left. But then again, he left because of what I did to him."

"But why? Damon's an arrogant ass."

I did smirk at that as I nodded in agreement. "He is, I'll give you that, but he has another side to him. Look, like I told Matt, I made my choice and I don't regret it. Stefan's gone, I wish everyone would just let it go and move on."

She pursed her lips together as she mulled it over and then nodded. "Only if you promise me something."

"Anything," I said.

"Don't ever keep me out of the loop again. You don't have to tell me everything, but I'm still your friend and I should know what's going on in your life."

"Deal."

I hugged her and when I pulled away she had her head tilted to the side. "Why did you give Jeremy your car?"

"I don't need it anymore. I have Damon's when I need it."

She smiled a little and opened the door. "I'll drive you to school," she said and I followed her out to the car.

School went by quickly and Caroline was waiting for me outside my last class. "I don't need a ride home," I assured her.

"Sure you do. That's how you got here isn't it?"

I sighed and waved goodbye to Alaric before following her back to the parking lot. "Thanks."

She nodded, "Matt's really upset with you. Just so you know."

I sighed and stared out the car window. "I know. I never thought I would be that person, but here we are."

"We're going to the Grill tonight to play pool. Come with us. Show him you're still the same person and that you're better now."

I stared at her in confusion. She didn't like me being around Matt at all. Maybe she was finally getting over it. Either that or she was tired of hearing his complaints where I was concerned. "I'll think about it."

"You can bring Damon if you want."

My brow shot up as I studied her. "Really?"

She shrugged, "I hate him, but he's a part of your life now. We'll have to get used to it."

I nodded and realized what she meant. "You mean you want Matt to get used to it."

"Precisely," she said and grinned as she pulled up to the boarding house.

"I'll let you know," I said and got out, waving to her as I went inside. I stopped at the inside of the threshold at the sight of Isobel and Damon. He had her pinned between himself and the wall by the stairs. Neither one of them paid any attention to me until I slammed the door. Damon stepped back, rather angry about her being there. "Will you please stay out of my life?"

"If I had known you were going to be clingy, I would have never-" Damon started as he backed away from her.

"Please, don't finish that sentence," I said as I looked at him.

Isobel straightened her clothes and shook out her hair. "I'm here to check up on you."

"No you weren't. You came here to...to..." I wanted to say make me jealous, but I kept my mouth shut. If I thought it would do any good, I would pick her up and throw her out myself, yet I remained where I was. "Just leave."

"I was simply making sure that you were being taken care of properly."

I looked at Damon who was staring at her with venomous hate in his light blue eyes. If had been anyone else, he would have attacked her already and yet he was holding back on my account. "I'm fine. I didn't need you in my life before, why would I need you now," I said and moved to open the door.

She ignored me and looked to Damon. "I need a word alone with Elena," she said in a demanding tone.

He looked at me for an answer and I nodded briefly, signaling it was alright. He went upstairs and I followed her to the porch. "What do you want?"

"Have you read the journal?"

"A little bit of it. You said to call you when I read it. I said I would; stop showing up uninvited."

She examined her nails the way Katherine did when she wanted to attack and wanted to appear bored at the same time. "You're not reading it fast enough."

"It's only been a few days," I said and moved back to the door. She grabbed my wrist and when I whirled around, my fangs had slid down and I could feel the change in my face. "Come into my house again without my permission and I will kill you; blood relation or not," I vowed and pulled out of her grasp.

The look of shock on her face made me smirk with satisfaction. Her face hardened instantly. "Just read the damn journal," she snapped and sped off.

I slammed the door when I went inside and Damon immediately pulled me to him. "Why was she here?"

"She was actually telling the truth on this one."

I pulled away and stared at him. "Seriously?"

"She threatened that if I ever hurt you, she would make sure she made my life worse. I was in the process of threatening her as well when you came in."

"Oh," was all I could say to that so I changed the subject. "You could teach me how to hunt now."

"I thought you didn't want to hunt in the daylight?"

"Then let's go to another town where they don't know me," I suggested and watched as his eyes widened with surprise.

"You make it very hard to hate you."

"Wasn't aware that you were trying to hate me," I said with a feigned hurt as we went to the porch. He held out his hand, I took it, and then we were speeding off through the woods.

* * *

It was eight when we made it back to Mystic Falls and I now I knew the difference between fresh blood and bagged blood. All my senses were even better than I could have imagined and I felt more alive; more confident in everything I did. "Why did Stefan not like this?" I asked before I could stop myself.

We had gone to Richmond and compelled our way into a bar. He had helped me charm one of the drinkers and I had led him to the back and fed from him. I didn't even need Damon's help to detach myself. I could sense when I had taken enough to satisfy me and I didn't feel the urge to kill. "Because he was weak," he answered tightly.

At that moment, my cell rang and I answered it to a very angry Caroline. "Where the hell are you?"

"I said I might not be able to make it."

"I know what you said. When I have I ever taken no for an answer? You have half an hour to get here before we show up at your door!" she hissed in that friendly anger.

I grinned and nodded. "Alright, we'll be there soon." I looked at Damon as I pocketed my phone. "Up for a game of pool?"

"Not my thing."

"I'll let you hustle them," I said, putting my hands in his. "Do this for me and I'll do something for you."

"Such as?" he asked, brow arched.

"I don't know yet," I said and kissed him lightly after standing on my tiptoes. I pulled him out the door with me and in a few minutes we were there.

It was a replay of what had happened the day I woke up in Transition. Every head turned in my direction and it made me feel taller and more confident than ever. It also left me feeling strange because I had been here on Monday and nothing had happened then. I shrugged it off as I looked for my friends and spotted them at pool table near the bar. I stopped sharply, causing Damon to walk into me as I noticed Alaric and John at the bar together. "Elena?" Damon asked, his voice rumbling through me, snapping me out of whatever daze I was in.

I nodded towards them. "Since when did they start hanging out?"

"Since they had a common interest," he said and pushed me forward. I bit down the urge to ask if it was me or Isobel that he was referring to.

Caroline nudged Bonnie who looked up from her phone and smiled at me. Matt looked less than pleased that I had brought Damon and he was avoiding my eyes at all cost. "Oh good, you made it," Caroline said sweetly.

Obviously the others hadn't known about her phone call to me. "Thanks for inviting me," I said as she and Matt finished their game.

I went to hug Bonnie who whispered in my ear, "You're glowing." Normally, I would have taken that as a compliment, but there was concern in her tone.

"I just fed," I said, hoping that was the reason. But she had seen me feed before from blood bags and she hadn't mentioned it then.

"No, I mean your skin is actually glowing. That's why all the attention is focused on you," she said in a low voice and I looked around. Sure enough, all eyes were still on me although people were trying to be secretive about it.

I glanced over her shoulder to John and Alaric who were also staring at me as if they were trying to figure out what was wrong with me. Damon was behind me when I turned to look for him. "There is a dull glow," he added.

"You couldn't have mentioned this earlier?"

"I wasn't really looking at your skin," he said in a low voice.

I turned to look at him. "My eyes?" I teased.

"Hardly," he muttered and Bonnie shook her head in mock disgust.

Matt came to stand by us and looked down at Damon's hand intertwined with mine. His gaze came back up and hurt flickered in his eyes for only an instant. _I had hoped after Stefan, you would have given us a chance_. I blinked rapidly and looked at Damon, wondering if he had heard that too, but everyone was acting normal. I took a deep breath and pretended everything was good for now. "Can I talk to you?" he asked, looking at Damon.

"If you want," he returned as he let go of my hand so I could set up a new game with Bonnie and Caroline.

I just couldn't help but eavesdrop in the process. "I know your type Damon, and I don't trust you."

"Is this the part where you promise to kill me if I hurt her? Did you give Stefan that speech?"

"I didn't think he would ever leave," he said tightly. "Just don't hurt her. She's been through enough."

I stopped pretending to be busy as I watched him look Matt in the eye. "Anyone that tries to hurt her again will be worse off than they could ever imagine. You can trust me on that."

Matt simply nodded and came to the table. I handed him my cue stick and went to Damon's side. I realized that it was the first time we had been in public together as a couple and that if I wanted to kiss him, I didn't have to be afraid of someone seeing us and saying anything to Stefan. That being said, I replayed the words he had said to Matt in my mind as I reached up and kissed him deeply. "I love you," I whispered against his lips as I pulled away slightly.

"You probably shouldn't do that in front of your father. He hates me enough as it is."

"Since when do you care?" I asked as I folded my arms.

He kissed me again. "I don't."

We played for a good hour before Caroline, Matt, and Bonnie decided to call it a night. They had been here since seven and I couldn't blame them; there was only so much pool you could play in a night. Damon and I decided to head over to the bar where Alaric and John were still talking. "Gentlemen," Damon said as we sat down next to them.

"Are you feeling okay?" John asked, referring to the glow in my skin that had subsided.

I nodded. "I'm fine, I promise," I said and then remembered that I had heard Matt's thoughts. "But I think you two should come back to the boarding house with us. There's something I have to tell you."

Damon's brow furrowed. "There is?"

"Yes, would you mind going now?" I asked.

They shook their heads and we went outside to Alaric's car. I drove since they were a little on the tipsy side. Damon was not happy with the fact that I hadn't told him what I wanted to talk about. I wasn't deliberately keeping it from him, I just didn't want to explain it twice. When everyone was seated, they looked at me. "What happened?" Damon asked.

"When we walked into the Grill, everyone was looking at me and then Bonnie said my skin was glowing. I don't know where that came from or why, but something else happened before the glow stopped. It was when Matt came to talk to us and saw you holding my hand. I _heard_ his thoughts. At first I thought he had spoken out loud, but nobody reacted. And I know I shouldn't be able to do that, but I'm not making this up."

Alaric shook his head. "I've never heard of this happening to anyone. Not even witches."

John nodded in agreement. "We're the only ones you told about this right?" When I nodded he continued. "I think this is what Isobel is following you around for. She knows something about this, but it's only speculation. You shouldn't go anywhere alone while she's still here. One of us should be with you at all times."

I looked at Damon as he nodded. "As much as I don't like it, he's right. Alaric can watch you when you're at school and I'll take care of the rest."

"Can I tell Bonnie so I can have some girl time? Isobel will be weary if I'm with a witch right?"

"A little, but not enough to bet your life on it," John answered. "The only one that can threaten her and make it stick is Damon. You can tell Bonnie if you'd like, but only if you think she's trust worthy."

"Why wouldn't she be?" I asked, taken aback by that.

"She's a witch and you're a vampire. You might have been good friends as humans, but your roles have changed now." It stunned me because Damon had said something similar to this the other day.

"She would never-"

"Elena," Damon interrupted as he stood up. "Humanity is a tricky thing. Everyone lies and everyone cheats. It's just a matter of when and not if. She may be your friend now, but somewhere along the road she might change. People betray each other all the time. Even the most selfless of people become selfish in the face of death. You are not human anymore and the sooner you realize that there is no place for humanity in your life, you will understand."

I wanted to tell him he was wrong, but Stefan had tried to hold onto his humanity and in the end, it had destroyed him. Damon was always up front about everything and so far I was the only one he had ever cared about since becoming a vampire. I looked at John and Alaric. "I'll keep it between us then. Can you guys manage to get home or should I drive you?"

"I think we're good," Alaric answered as they stood up. "Be safe," he added as I walked them to the door.

"I'll try," I said lightly and waited until their car disappeared down the road. I turned to Damon. "Do you think it was the fresh blood that did this? It was the only thing different about today."

He shrugged, "I have no idea."

I let it go as I grabbed his hand and led him to the stairs. "We'll talk about it later. Right now, I have my end of a bargain to uphold," I said with a smirk.


	7. Chapter 7

**a/n: slightly shorter than usual, but I'm just trying to get to the graduation so I can get on with the rest of my plot :) all the questions you have will be answered soon enough! Thanks for the reviews!**

SEVEN

I had read over half of Katherine's journal by the time Damon found me reading the next morning. I was deeply disturbed by everything she wrote concerning Stefan and Damon. There was little to no evidence that she even cared about them at all. From the way she described Stefan, it reminded me of the way Damon first talked about him when he came to town. Other than that, I couldn't find anything that would make Isobel have me read this. It just sounded like journal of a patient in the psychiatric hospital.

I put the book down and wandered back upstairs. It was already seven in the morning and I had yet to sleep. Another good thing about being a vampire was I didn't really have to sleep. I only did because there was little else to do around here. As I got to the top of the stairs I noticed Stefan's door was slightly ajar. Odd, it had been shut for a week now. I reached out with my senses and found nothing. Slowly, I approached the door and pushed it open. I stilled as a slight breeze floated through the open window across the room. Nothing else was out of place and yet there was definitely something wrong with this picture. I cautiously stepped in and looked around, peering into corners to make sure everything else was still in its place.

"What are you doing in here?" Damon asked from the doorway, causing me to jump before I turned around.

"The door was open..." I started before I noticed what was gone.

"Elena?"

I pointed to an empty spot on the table. "Katherine's picture is missing."

"So?"

"It was here when I moved my stuff to your room and that window was not open," I pointed out. "Do you think it could be Stefan?"

"For his sake, I hope not. I had no problem killing him the first time."

I swallowed hard at that, trying not to let it affect me. I had to keep reminding myself that Stefan wasn't the person I fell in love with anymore. "If he is still around, do you think he's working with Isobel?"

"Why would he do that?"

"Who's to say that she wasn't in town that night? Maybe she pulled him out of the catacombs. They both hate you and they're not my biggest fans either. They were both working for Katherine and we killed her."

"And the plot thickens," he said as he closed the window.

I shook my head, unable to hold back a smile. "Mock me if you will, but I think he didn't die after all."

"Shame. I'll just have to kill him again."

I sighed as we went back into the hall. "I know what he did was horrible, but could you not say stuff like that?"

"I've always said that about him Elena. That's not going to change. Especially not after what he did to you." I nodded knowing it was true and followed him into our room where I fell asleep thinking of Stefan being back. It didn't bode well for anyone.

* * *

I spent the rest of Saturday and Sunday helping Caroline, Matt, and Bonnie study for our finals coming up later this week. My heart wasn't in it, but only Bonnie knew the real reason. "Can you believe that this is the last weekend of high school?" Caroline said as we finished up Sunday before her mom came home with dinner. Matt had left by this point due to the fact that he didn't like being in the room with me any more than he had to be. I told myself he would get over it eventually or I would leave; which ever came first.

"It seems like just yesterday we were starting senior year," Bonnie said wistfully.

I smiled as I gathered my bags. "I should probably get going. I promised Damon I would be home before it was too late."

As I said this, I could hear John's car pulling up to the house. "You're not staying for dinner?" Caroline asked, feeling a little hurt.

I shook my head and apologized. I was already beginning to feel the effects of being hungry. "I'll see you tomorrow at school," I said and rushed out the door to meet John. All three men were being very persistent with their "you can't be alone" campaign and it was starting to get to me.

"I take it you heard me," he said as I slid into the passenger seat.

"It would only take me a few minutes to get home by myself. Nothing would have happened," I mumbled as I stared out the side window.

He looked at me with curiosity and nodded. "Have you fed?"

"No," I answered tightly and continued to stare out the window. Since Friday night when I had tasted the fresh human blood, the blood bags were no longer satisfying. I was afraid to tell Damon for some reason; I couldn't figure out why. I wanted to be in control because I had seen what the lack of it could do to a vampire. The more I thought about that night, the more I regretted my decision to go hunting. It was my first attempt and I had been good at it, but inside I was a little revolted.

"Elena?" he asked. He had asked me a question but I had been too deep in thought to hear him. "Are you attending graduation?"

It was very strange question, one I hadn't given much thought to in light of recent events. "We'll see."

"Your Aunt just might kill you if you don't," he said as he pulled up in front of the boarding house.

A smile twitched at my lips as I got out. "I'll probably be there so don't worry about it. But if Isobel shows up there's going to a very nasty headline in the papers Friday morning."

He grinned as he shook his head. "Good night."

I waved as I walked into the house and my sudden good mood vanished as Damon stood there, holding Katherine's journal. "How long were you planning on not telling me about this?"

I tried to snatch it back, but no matter how fast I was, he was still taller. "I wanted to read it first."

He narrowed his eyes and gritted his teeth. He was trying not to smile. "It's about my life; don't you think I should have read it first? It's a little personal."

"You're not even in it that much."

He put a hand over his heart and gave me one of his signature looks. "That hurts you know."

I took the book from him when he lowered it down to my level. "Honestly, I know you hate her now, but you didn't always. I didn't want to see you hurt again because of something she wrote."

"As much as I appreciate the gesture, I would appreciate it even more if you never kept anything from me again. No matter how you think I might take it."

It was a warning and I heeded it. "Deal." I headed to the kitchen and poured a rather large glass of blood for me to drink and downed it in record time.

"Hungry?" he asked.

"You have no idea."

He grinned from ear-to-ear. "Any more mind readings?"

I shook my head. "Not since Friday. I would say we could try again, but I don't think that would be such a good idea," I said and fought the urge to get more blood from the fridge. As much as I wanted to tell him the bags weren't enough, I was afraid to.

"I may not be a mind reader, but something else is going on."

I sighed, knowing if I kept this from him much longer, he would do something we both would regret. "After drinking the fresh blood, the bagged stuff isn't cutting it. It's like I can drink all I want, but it does nothing to satisfy the hunger and makes the cravings that much harder to control."

He nodded as if it were not as big of a deal as I thought. "It's normal for new vampires. That first taste opens up a whole new world of ecstasy. I've been there. Eventually the euphoria wears off and you can control it."

"How long do I have to wait?"

He shrugged. "It's different for everyone."

I groaned, "I've been different with everything else so far. At this rate, I'm never going to be able to drink these things again."

"There's only one way to solve that problem."

I knew exactly what it was, but I wasn't ready to drink fresh blood on a daily basis. "I know; maybe it will pass on its own."

"Just say the word and we'll go hunting. But don't let it get too out of control. The last thing I need is for you to out us like my brother almost did."

I said nothing to that as I cleaned up. "I know John's on our side now, but why didn't he ever tell the Council about you?"

"Because of you," he said simply. "He knew you were too far in to our lifestyle that there was no going back. The last thing this town needs is to find out that you're one of their sworn enemies."

I bit my lip, debating if I wanted to ask him the question swirling in my head, but it needed to be out there. "How long before we have to leave Mystic Falls?"

His smile was bittersweet, "Five or so years. Weren't you going to college anyway?"

"I was," I said lightly, thinking of the few short months between now and the start of the fall semester. I didn't want to leave that soon, but it wasn't going to get any easier. "How long do you usually stay in one place?"

"It depends," he said and I waited for him to continue but he didn't.

"On?"

He grinned slowly. "I don't think you want to know."

"No, I guess not."

He had moved to stand in front of me and lifted my face up towards him. "I've told you this before; don't think about the future or the past."

"I know, it's just...everything I've ever done has been for my future and now if I think about it, I-" He cut me off with a kiss and all my anxieties faded into nothing. I melted into his embrace and relaxed even more as we moved as one up to our room and crash landed on the bed. His idea of cheering me up was way better than anything I could think of.


	8. Chapter 8

**a/n: I have to take a moment to rant over the ending of the show; that was THE perfect moment for "elena" and she missed it lol. For those of you that don't know what Tyler is...you're in for a surprise haha I'm glad they included that in the show. Ahh...I can't wait for the next season! Thanks to everyone who reviewed!**

EIGHT

Everything around me was bathed in a hazy silver-blue light and it was like I was moving in slow motion. I lifted the skirt of my dress and turned, my spiral curls bouncing around me wildly. I was expecting someone, but I didn't know who or why. When I turned back in the direction I had first been looking, there was a man standing in the shadowed part of the clearing. It was the first time I noticed the trees and the eerie sensation that followed as I realized there was no breeze. "You're late." It was my voice, but I wasn't in control of my lips moving.

Time seemed to pick up to normal speed and I could see the light curve of his smile even in the darkness. "Only the eager to please are on time," came a silky voice that floated around me.

I stepped forward, again, the sensation of not being in control of my body was unsettling. I felt the corners of my mouth settle into a seductive smile as I stopped and put my hands on my waist. "Do you have it?"

"Have what?" he asked innocently, that voice striking every flight sense that I had and yet, I continued to stand not five feet in front of him.

"Don't play coy with me Roarke, you know you always lose."

He took a rather large step out of the shadows and I could finally see him in the strange light that surrounded us. He was tall and lithe; where you could see the defined muscles through clothes, but it wasn't over the top. There was an air about him that commanded authority and there was something in his hazel eyes that said he was much older than the thirty years he appeared to be. He took my hand and raised it to his lips. "It is you who will lose in the end Mortal."

I snatched my hand back, "Mortal? I hate it when you call me that."

My voice was more of a whine as I stepped back. "It is what you are," he said with a smile that chilled me to the core.

I crossed my arms over my chest and tilted my head. "Did you bring what I asked or not?"

In the blink of an eye, he had my chin in an iron grasp and his hazel eyes were blazing with controlled anger. "Do not take that tone with me Katherine." My blood froze. _Katherine?_ I wondered and remained where I was even after he released his hold on me. "I regret to inform you that I could not get the audience with Klaus as you requested." His tone held no more anger in it.

"Did he say why?"

"He never gives any reason. Do not despair, he will meet with you eventually; he's very fascinated with you."

"Tell him I don't have forever."

"Very soon you will," he said with another bone chilling smile as he stepped forward and grabbed my chin again. This time it wasn't to hurt me, it was to kiss me. He pulled his lips back to speak. "Besides, you do not want to Turn when you are carrying a child. My child."

I laughed and smiled cruelly as I crushed his lips to mine. "Tell me you're not curious as to what a vampire-witch could do," I breathed.

He wrapped his arms around me, untying the strings at the back of my dress. The light around us was fading as if it were the end of an old black and white movie. "No, it would be an abomination to all who walk the earth; both dead and alive. No child of mine is going to be your experiment."

I laughed into another kiss even though it seemed distant. "Just so we're clear warlock, you're still mortal too," I breathed as my dress slid off my shoulders and the scene disappeared.

I sat up in bed and looked down at my clothes. I was wearing a long white nightgown that I didn't recognize. I got up and went to the mirror. This time, I was in control of my movements. I shook off what I had just witnessed and went to find Damon. The house I was in was very unfamiliar, but I seemed to know where to go without thinking too much. I opened the door at the end of the hall where Damon was tangled in his sheets. I knelt next to him and ran my hands over his exposed chest. I bent down and kissed his lips and found out that he was already awake. "I didn't think you would be coming here tonight."

I was going to ask him why, but he moved so I was beneath him and all existing thoughts went out the window. My nails raked at his back as he kissed his way to the neckline of my nightgown. I moved my fingers up to his hair and let them sink in while I pulled his lips back up to mine and kissed him soundly. I could hear his heart beating against my chest and I moved one hand to his chest where it pulsed rapidly. I moved much faster than I intended and I was on top of him. I leaned down to his throat and kissed him lightly. He swallowed hard and I could smell the flow of blood coursing through him. My fangs slid down effortlessly and I licked his skin before biting his flesh. His blood was coppery and rich, filling my mouth with one of the best drugs I had ever tasted. I pulled away and looked down at him. "I love you," I whispered.

"Do you Katherine?"

All the good feelings I had been having vanished as I shot out of bed and started at him. He was different and there was no reason that I should have missed that about him. His hair was longer and hung around his face in soft black curls. I licked my lips and realized the blood that I had taken had been human blood. I was still in Katherine's body, reliving pieces of her past. "No-"

"No you don't love me?" he countered, hurt clear in his voice. I shook my head out of confusion and ran from the room. I stopped at the sight of Stefan coming out of another room and could feel the tears that were threatening to spill. My heart ached in my chest at the sight of him. He was about to say something when the room started to move like a flag in the wind and in a matter of seconds the scene dissolved into nothing.

* * *

I woke up, bathed in a cold sweat as I sat up and tried to catch my breath. I looked to the empty space on the bed where Damon should have been and instantly became afraid. I got to my feet and headed downstairs hoping that he was there. I searched with my senses and came up with nothing. My body was trembling and I had no idea why. There was no reason that any dream should have felt that real, leaving me to suspect that it hadn't really been a dream. I took a few deep breaths and started to feel a little calmer; calm enough to dial Damon's number. There was no answer. Just as I was about to call Bonnie, the door opened and Damon strode in. I was at the door in less than a second and wrapped myself around him before I could stop myself. "Where did you go?" I asked in a strangled voice.

"If I tell you that, it would ruin the surprise," he said and tightened his hold on me. "What happened?"

I shook my head, getting tears on his shirt in the process and tried to get my emotions in check so I could tell him. We moved to the couch where I explained both parts of the dream to him the best I could. Normally I always forget my dreams, but this one in particular I could remember every detail. "Why would I be reliving Katherine's memories?"

He didn't answer right away and from the look on his face, I knew he hadn't heard me. He was focused on something else I had said. "Katherine was with child when you were in the first part right?"

"I didn't notice any difference in the stomach, but I didn't look either. It could be that they were planning on having a child or she just found out. Why?"

"You said she called him a warlock."

What he was trying to say finally clicked in my head and I stood up immediately. "Katherine had a child with a warlock," I said aloud. "That means I have witch blood in me too. I always have." Damon was going to add something but I kept going. "Isobel doesn't seem to have this problem; just me."

"I don't think she knows. She might suspect, but she doesn't know," he said.

"That would explain the mind reading and the glowing right? Still, I don't see why I would be the only one this way."

He nodded and joined me in front of the fireplace. He cupped my face in one of his hands and smiled lightly. "Maybe it was Bonnie's blood after all. She was the one to take you from Transition to vampire."

"What if the witch blood in me was triggered to only activate that way?" I countered as I continued with his train of thought. "Now we just need to know why it would be that way."

"One problem," he started. "The only one who can answer that question is dead."

I shook my head. "No, we have Bonnie. Bonnie can talk to the dead, but I'll have her ask Emily first. Maybe she knows something. I would never ask Bonnie to try to make a connection with Katherine. All we have to do is ask to talk to Emily and maybe she can point us in the right direction." His eyes darkened and his jaw ticked as he stepped away. "What? I don't have to ask her."

He shook his head, "It's not that. It just seems like it would be too easy. I think I should have a talk with Isobel to see what she knows. There has to be more to it if you can see the memories of a dead girl."

I swallowed hard, not wanting to ask this, but I did it anyway. "Isobel mentioned something about mine and Katherine's blood. She asked me in Alaric's classroom if you had ever tasted a difference." I hadn't been aware that vampires could blush until now; the heat searing my cheeks.

He had already been looking away from me, but after the words had left my lips, I could see the change in his face. His eyes met mine and I was undecided if I wanted to know the answer. "It's not like everyone has a distinct taste."

It was not the answer I was looking for and I could tell by his tone that he was just as uncomfortable answering as I had been asking the question in the first place. "Damon, I don't care what the answer is, just tell me. Is there any difference in our DNA as far as you could tell?"

"No," he said flatly. "There was no difference between your blood and hers." I straightened as he grabbed my hand and squeezed it.

"And?" I asked, sensing there was more to what he was going to say.

"And Bonnie's not the only witch in the world. We have a more serious problem than I realized."

"Damon, what is it?"

"Black magick. There are spells that bring people back from the dead, but they need the blood or strands of hair from the person they're trying to resurrect."

I mulled over what he had just said and knew deep down that it made sense. "She's only been gone for two weeks at the most. There is no way that Isobel could have this arranged so fast."

"Not unless she and Katherine had this plan before she came here. Isobel was working for Katherine."

"Why would she even want to bring her back?" I asked as he put his arms around me. "Never mind, I don't want to find out," I added as I looked up at him through my lashes. "I'll talk to Bonnie after finals are over so she can concentrate."

Normally his kisses were good for getting rid of my fears and anxieties, this time it had no effect. My body trembled against his at the fear of being hunted by Isobel just for the sheer purpose of bringing Katherine back. What was even worse was that Isobel didn't have any reason to bring her back, but someone else we knew had every reason to bring her back. And that thought scared me even more.


	9. Chapter 9

NINE

I went home with Bonnie after school on Wednesday. It was the last day of school for seniors because Thursday morning would be a rehearsal for the graduation ceremony. "Okay, spill," Bonnie demanded as soon as she closed the door behind her.

"What?"

"You've been incredibly silent since Friday night and I know you haven't said anything because of finals. They're over now, so start talking," she demanded as we sat on the couch. Her parents were still at work, but I didn't know when they would be home so I explained as fast as I could about the dream and everything else Damon and I had made connections about, inadvertently telling her I could read minds. "That's incredible. How come you didn't tell me about this before?"

"I was told not to."

She glared at me in a sisterly sort of way. "Damon?"

"And Alaric and John," I added.

She grimaced. "It's still weird that they all get along."

"Tell me about it," I mused. "Hey, could you tell me if your grandmother's spell book had any resurrection spells in it?"

She shook her head. "I've been over that many, many times, but I didn't see anything. The Bennett witches were all about white magick. But I could try contacting Emily tonight if you want still want me to. There's even a scrying spell I could try to see if there's any other magick being used in town. Technically, I should be the only source," she said with a smile.

"Thanks."

"Don't thank me just yet Elena, I'll only do that if you do something for me."

She was baiting me for something and my lips twitched into a smile. "What can I do for you?"

"Promise me you'll come to the graduation party at the Grill tomorrow night."

I smiled in full. "I wouldn't miss that for the world. You know that," I said and then narrowed my eyes at her. "Damon mentioned a surprise. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that would you?" I asked and her eyes sparkled with a devious innocence.

She shook her head, "No one told me anything," she said and winked.

I heard her mom driving up the street and I stood up. "Come over tonight around eleven. You can stay the night if you want and we'll car pool to practice in the morning."

"Car pool?"

I grinned. "Damon still has his car. Call me and I'll come get you later. Hey Mrs. Bennett," I said as I opened the door to leave.

"Elena, you're not staying for dinner?"

I shook my head, "No, thank you, I have plans with Aunt Jenna."

She hugged me, "Congratulations sweetheart," she said and let me go. "Your mother would be proud."

Her words brought tears to my eyes and yet I kept my smile. "Thanks. I'll see you tomorrow," I said to both of them and sped to the boarding house before she could ask me if I needed a ride.

* * *

I had picked up Bonnie around ten-thirty and I helped her set up in the living room after clearing everything out of the way. Damon had called over John and Alaric so that everyone had a chance to see what was going on and that way, nothing got lost in retelling the events. "Should I have invited Jenna?" I asked Damon as Bonnie drew a pentagram on the floor, calling to the elements as she did so.

"No," John and Alaric said at the same time.

"I told her so that I wouldn't have to keep anything from her and since I told her, I haven't seen her," I said, realizing just how much I had neglected her.

"Your aunt is a strong woman," Alaric said and Damon was smirking.

"I wonder which one of you will be escorting her tomorrow," he said, unable to ignore the humor in them both vying for her attention. "And which one will be left with Isobel."

My head snapped up to look at him. "That is _not_ funny."

His eyes were still laughing, but his face was straight. "Oh, but it is," he breathed and kissed me lightly on my forehead.

"Ready," Bonnie said in a barely audible voice.

"Where do you want us?" I asked as we stood outside the pentagram on the floor.

She handed us each a candle of a different color to represent the elements and told us where to stand. She stood in the middle holding a black candle and faced me. "I'm going to contact Emily first since it's almost midnight and that seems to be a good time."

"Ah, the witching hour," Damon whistled and Bonnie turned to him.

"I'm going to ask you to not say anything. Elena is the only one I'll be allowing to speak. Any more than that and it will break my concentration."

"But Emily and I were this close," he teased as he crossed his fingers.

She shook her head and tried not to smile. "Just hold still and be quiet," she demanded and turned back to me. "Ready?" I nodded and she closed her eyes. She began chanting slowly only to get faster with time. There was a rush of air and she snapped into a straight stance before her eyes flew open. "Elena," she said, but the voice had an eerie echo-like effect to it, telling me it wasn't Bonnie speaking.

"Emily," I returned.

"What can I do for you?"

The question sounded unfinished to me, but I let it go. "I wanted to ask you questions about Katherine. Did she ever mention anything to you about her human life? Maybe who turned her or anything like that."

"She never told me about her past, but everything you need to know is in her journals."

"Journals?" I repeated. "There's more than one?"

She nodded once. "She kept them hidden. They could be dangerous to her in the wrong hands."

"Do you know where she kept them?" I asked.

"I saw her take them out once, but I did not see her put them back in the same spot," she was about to continue, but Bonnie's face twisted into a mask of pain. "I am sorry, but I cannot stay."

I nodded, knowing there was nothing I could do as Bonnie's body relaxed and the strange air circulation had gone away. There was a few moments of silence before Bonnie spoke in her normal voice. "Anything?"

"She said the answers were in Katherine's other journals but she doesn't know where they are," I said and shrugged. "Let's try the scrying thing and go from there."

"We don't need the pentagram for that," she said as she put out her candle, the rest of us following her example. The four of us helped her clean up the chalk on the floor and put back the furniture. Damon and I kept quiet about the fact that we could have done this ourselves in a lot less time than the five of us working together. John and Alaric took a seat on the couch, Damon and I shared an oversized chair, and Bonnie stood at a tall table where she had a map of the town spread out. In her right hand was a crystal pendant that was swaying back and forth slightly in the light airflow of the house.

"What is this for?" John asked.

"This is to see if there's been any other magick activity in the area other than what I've been doing. If there is, then we have a major problem. If not, then we should be okay," she answered.

"Let's say there is another source, would you be able to pinpoint a current location?" Alaric asked, leaning forward on the couch.

"Probably. I'm still working on scrying. It's not something I practice everyday."

"That's good news for people you might stalk," Damon muttered in my ear and I shook my head with a smile.

She closed her eyes and began saying a spell so quietly even I had trouble hearing her. The pendant swung back and forth in bigger strides and yet her hand remained in one place. It was very odd to watch and it was even more strange when the crystal at the end became magnetized to the table and stuck straight up on its own accord. Bonnie opened her eyes and frowned. She looked at me and shrugged. "So far I'm the only source of magick."

"That doesn't necessarily mean someone isn't here waiting does it?" John asked, looking at Bonnie with a peculiar look on his face.

"Right," she said and I could tell she was lost in her thoughts before she spoke. "There is one more thing we could try. For the journals anyway."

"No," Damon said before anyone else could speak.

I looked at him and tilted my head. "You've had enough for today or you know what she's going to say?"

"I know what she wants to try and the answer is no," he said in a harsh tone that gave me the chills. I hadn't heard him use that tone since before Stefan left.

"Bonnie, what is it?" I asked, just wanting to know what it was that she could do.

Her eyes flickered to Damon who was glaring at her with warning in his eyes, but she told me anyway. "I could put you in a trance to connect you with Katherine like you did in your dreams, but I would be the one controlling them. We could make her reveal the location of the journals or we could just make her tell us everything."

I looked at Damon. "That doesn't sound so bad."

He was looking at Bonnie. "Only witches who have been trained all of their lives and who have come fully into their power can do those types of spells and even then it's risky. Katherine could end up possessing her and there won't be anything we could do about it."

"I think we should try," I said and looked at the other two men who were shaking their heads.

"I agree with Damon. If Katherine realizes what's going on-" John started.

"Katherine is dead. She's not coming back; not if I can get those journals. I know I'll be using her body when she was alive, but...just trust me. I want to do this," I said as I got up and stood by Bonnie.

There was an awkward silence in the room as I started at Damon who was glaring back at me. He took a deep breath and sighed before nodding once. "Fine, but I'm going to say I told you so if something goes wrong."

"Thank you," I said and looked at Bonnie. "What do you need me to do?"

"Lay down," she instructed as she pointed to in front of the fireplace. "Pillow?" she asked and one of the men tossed one to her. She put it behind my head and placed my arms over my chest. "Okay, I can't have any one of you say anything," she said, mostly to Damon before looking back at me. "Close your eyes and concentrate on your breathing, nothing else."

I closed my eyes and tried to block out everything. I took deep, even breaths which over the course of the past two weeks had become more and more strange to do. Soon enough I couldn't even hear the house settling anymore. _How am I supposed to tell Elena about Jenna and I_? Alaric's thought entered my mind then and it came as more of a shout. _She reminds me of Isobel at that age_, John's thought floated around in my mind as more of an afterthought. I opened my eyes and turned my head to look at them. "Maybe you two should leave," I said to Alaric and John.

"Why?" John asked.

"Because you're both thinking too loudly," I replied, trying not to smile as Alaric's cheeks began to redden. "I didn't mean to pry, but I'm supposed to have my guard down."

They both nodded and stood up. "We'll see you tomorrow," John said as they left the house to just Bonnie, Damon, and I.

"Have you heard any of my thoughts?" she asked out of curiosity.

"No, so far theirs and Matt's." Her brow arched, but I said nothing else as I closed my eyes and concentrated on my breathing again. This time the silence was immediate and even Bonnie's gentle chanting sounded far away. My eyes were closed and the only light in the house was the flicker of candle flames and yet I could see faint sunlight behind my lids. Every breath I took brought the light closer and soon enough, I could see the church where we had gone to find Katherine, only it looked brand new. My eyes flew open and I sat up despite Bonnie's protests. "How did you know Katherine would be at the church?" I asked Damon.

"She spent a lot of time there when she wasn't in her room. We met there quite often during the night when the church officials had gone home for the day," he said and a slight bout of jealousy hit me for only a second. "Why?"

"Because I saw it just now. It was the only for a few seconds, but it just felt...right. I think her journals are there," I said and stood up. "What are you waiting for?" I asked. They exchanged glances before following me out to the garage.


	10. Chapter 10

TEN

It was a little after two in the morning when we got back to the boarding house. Bonnie had fallen asleep in the backseat on our way back. I carried her up to the guest bedroom and shut the door softly behind me. I stopped in the hall as I realized I had carried her from the car up a flight of stairs and I wasn't even trying to catch my breath. "You forgot your own strength," Damon said with laughter clear in his voice as he lounged against the base of the stairs.

"Yes, I did," I replied and made two glasses of blood. There was no way I wanted to sleep tonight; I had no desire to dream.

He watched me over the rim of his glass, "You alright?"

Being in the church had reminded me of that night. The catacombs had caved in all around since then, but just being there brought Stefan's face to the surface of my mind and I couldn't shake the guilt no matter how hard I tried. I finished off the glass before I responded, giving myself time to regroup mentally. "I'm fine, it was just a lot to take in being there again."

As if he was the one that could read minds, he stood up and put his arms around me, pressing my back against the island counter. "You do realize that none of this was your fault, right? There is nothing for you to feel guilty for."

I wanted to give him the answer he was looking for, but I couldn't. "I still can't help but feel somewhat guilty," I said and shook my head against his chest. I slipped out from his grasp and began to pace. "The day he came back, I should have told him I was having feelings for you. You asked me to decide and I should have come clean then. I should have been open with him about things and maybe he wouldn't have been so hurt."

He grabbed my bicep and hoisted me up onto the counter so that he could stare me straight in the eye. "I should not have made you choose; you would have realized your feelings eventually and I would have waited for you no matter how long it took. It would not have made any difference if you had told him because he had already found Katherine at that point. He had made his mind up about you Elena. You keep forgetting that he intended to destroy you when you were giving him another chance."

I hated that he was right; he always was. I nodded and looked down at the almost non-existent space between us. "I can't help feeling like I'm no better than Katherine. I did the same thing; I fell in love with both of you and I made you fight for me." I looked up at him then, tears clouding my vision and wetting my cheeks. "I made you risk your lives for me and that is not what I wanted."

He cupped my face, his thumbs gently wiping the tears away. "You're nothing like her Elena. You fell in love with both of us because it was real; not because it was a game to you. She wanted us to die for her; to be her loyal little pets. You just wanted us for...well, us," he was being serious but it made me laugh lightly. His smile warmed my heart.

"Promise me that if I ever start behaving like her, you'll stake me," I whispered as I brought his face down so our foreheads were touching.

"I promise," he breathed and kissed me.

My legs wrapped around his waist, bringing him closer. My arms wound around his neck as his hands rested on my hips. It wasn't until we were both on top of the island when I pulled his head up and grinned apologetically. "We probably shouldn't do this."

He glared at me, not finding the humor I saw. "This is our house and she's fast asleep," he grumbled before leaning down to my neck again. My argument died in my throat at "our house." That two word phrase set a renewed fire to my body as I felt his fangs slide into my skin. I raised his wrist to my lips and bit his flesh. The role of being the prey and the hunter at the same time was better than sex alone ever could be. When he pulled back, he was grinning with arousal clear in his blue eyes. "Still want to stop?"

I shook my head, unable to speak, and brought his lips down to mine. In the blink of an eye we were upstairs and out of our clothes. The moment my back hit the bed, he was sliding into me; taking away all fears and worries I had just been going through.

* * *

After practice, Bonnie and I met Caroline at one of the coffee shops in town. Matt was supposed to be there as well, but he still wasn't too keen on hanging out with me. It hurt, but I let it go. "Can you believe we're graduating tonight?" Caroline asked as we sat outside on the patio.

"Not really. It just seems too real," Bonnie said as she stirred her cup absentmindedly.

Caroline was unusually happy and I knew she was just about to burst. "Caroline, what is it?"

"I got accepted into University of Virginia!" she nearly shouted. She was practically growing with pride and I couldn't help but be happy for her. "I've been meaning to tell someone, but Matt wasn't at practice and I didn't see you until now. Have you guys heard anything yet?"

We both shook our heads. "I'm still waiting on a few schools," Bonnie said and they both looked at me although their expressions were different.

"Elena?" Caroline asked.

I tried to smile, but I knew it didn't reach my eyes. "I'm probably not going. I'll be here for the summer but come fall, Damon and I will probably leave."

"That's crazy! Elena, you have to go to college!" Caroline yelled.

Bonnie was just staring wistfully at me, trying not to say anything in front of Caroline. "I don't see myself doing the college thing."

"Where will you go?" Bonnie asked over a tight throat. Her attempt at not crying was only making me want to cry.

It was the first time that it had sunk in that once Damon and I left, we could never come back; not until everyone we knew was six feet under. "Travel," I said. It was all I could get out without breaking down. I knew we could always meet somewhere else, but not being able to come back to the town I had been raised in was hard to comprehend. Just thinking about Damon and Stefan's return didn't give me any good feelings. "I think I should go," I added and stood up.

"Elena, I didn't-" Caroline started.

"It's not you," I replied in a soft voice. "I'll see you tonight," I said before disappearing around the corner. I got into Damon's car and began to drive, my destination still up in the air. I hadn't realized I wanted to go to the graveyard until I had parked. I moved silently along the path I could have walked with my eyes closed and stopped when I saw Jeremy kneeling at the headstone, fresh flowers on the grass before him.

He stood up and smiled at me when he turned around. "I knew you'd come here today."

I returned his smile as I approached him. He put his arms around my shoulders as we both stared at the headstone. "They should be here," I whispered, barely able to recognize my own voice.

There was a few minutes of silence before he spoke again. "So that would have made them your aunt and uncle right?"

I turned to look at him. "They'll always be Mom and Dad to me."

"I know that, I just meant biologically," he replied.

I didn't comment as I pulled away and turned to look at him. "You'll be there tonight right?"

He crossed his arms and smirked. "That depends, will you be there for mine?"

It was eerily similar to the conversation I had run away from ten minutes ago. I nodded slowly. "Of course I will be there. What kind of sister would I be if I missed your graduation?"

He hugged me tightly and then pulled away. "I should go."

"Shouldn't you be in school?" I asked. It hadn't even crossed my mind.

He hung his head. "I only missed my first class. I took my finals already so I'm not missing much anyway."

I nudged him with my shoulder as we started walking back. "Race you to the car?" I suggested and took off.

"Not fair!" he yelled as I used my speed to get there first. "So not fair," he repeated when he got to his car and I was leaning against it without panting for air.

I grinned and pushed myself off the car. "Being a vampire has its perks."

"Yeah?" he asked, more interested than I would have liked.

My smile faded. "Before you even consider becoming a vampire, I want you to talk to me."

"Do you regret it?" he asked.

"I didn't really get to choose. I know I'm going to miss out on many things and I'll always wish it could be different but Damon says it gets easier over time," I said and looked down.

"Is it weird? Drinking people's blood?" he asked quietly.

I met his gaze and shrugged, "I've only done it once and it's not as romantic as it is in the books and movies."

He grinned from ear to ear. "And I think you're a liar. Tell me it wasn't that way with Damon."

I blushed and it still amazed me. "I'm not talking about that with you," I said, trying to hide my smile. "I'll see you tonight," I said and went back to Damon's car to drive back to the boarding house.

* * *

It was a very strange thing to get my diploma in front of the entire town and be able to see my family clearly in the audience. "We did it!" Caroline yelled as we entered the Grill.

"Yes we did," Bonnie replied.

It was around eight when the Grill became jam packed with the whole town. It was the same every year and for that I was grateful. I needed something normal at the moment. My family was in the back corner talking mostly about me and how proud they were. Alaric was sitting very close to Jenna and I shook my head at the fact that they were trying not to be obvious and in the process it was having the opposite effect. I leaned down to Alaric. "I know that you like her and that she likes you. I would personally take it offensively if you didn't kiss her at some point tonight."

When I pulled back he was smiling lightly. "Been reading my thoughts again?"

"No, thank God," I replied and winked. As I moved back to stand next to Damon, I saw Alaric grab Jenna's hand even though she was talking to someone else, but her smile told me everything. I looked up at Damon, "So what about my surprise?"

"I was wondering if you would remember," he mumbled and began reaching into his jacket pocket. I was afraid that he was going to drop to his knee and was relieved when he didn't. The last thing I needed was all eyes on me. "Close your eyes," he demanded.

I nodded and stood there as something thin and cold draped around my neck. I shuddered as he pulled my hair back and I looked down to the new necklace I was wearing. My eyes widened as I recognized it as my mother's locket. I had worn it often as a little girl when I played dress-up in her clothes with Bonnie and Caroline. I looked back up at him. "Where did you get this?" I asked as I opened it up to see a picture of Mom and Dad.

Jenna had come to stand beside him. "I was going to give it to you tonight, but Damon had a good idea."

"Care to elaborate?" I asked.

"Bonnie helped me with this one," he said. I wanted to cry out of happiness at the fact that Bonnie and Damon could get along even when I wasn't there to mediate. "It's spelled to pulsate when there's another vampire within a mile of you."

"It's not pulsating now," I said flatly, playing with it.

"It won't when I'm around. I figured that would get annoying, so I had Bonnie do something else. If for any reason we should get separated, you'll always know where I am because of the charm."

"What about you?"

He lifted Katherine's necklace from under his shirt. "She put the same spell on this one."

I wrapped my arms around him and kissed him soundly. For the first time since Stefan came to town and introduced me to this world, I felt safe; I felt that I belonged. "I love you," I breathed against his lips.

"Love you too."

I pulled back and noticed John standing off to the side, not really talking to anyone. I excused myself and went to him. "I'm very proud of you, you know that right?"

I nodded, "Of course."

"I don't have any gifts for you. Not that you really need anything else."

I nodded again. "Just promise me that you'll never keep any life-altering information from me again."

He smiled and we stood there awkwardly for a moment before I gave in and hugged him. "I promise," he said against the top of my head before I stepped back and joined Damon's side again.

We made our way through the crowd and found Bonnie with Caroline, Mrs. Forbes, Matt, and Kelly. It was a very awkward moment, the image of Damon and Kelly still vivid in all of our minds, but nobody said anything. "Can I talk to you?" Matt asked quietly and I followed him to the back of the crowd where we could talk without everyone listening.

"Congratulations," I said.

"You too," he returned and swallowed hard. "Look, Elena, I'm sorry. I've been a complete jerk to you when I had no right to be. You've had a rough year as it was and when you needed a friend I wasn't there for you."

"Matt-"

He grabbed my hands and cut me off as he rushed on. "I just had it in my head that if Stefan didn't work out, we could have tried again, but I know that's not true. Damon _is _different with you and while it's very odd, it's good. It means I don't have to kick his ass."

I smiled at that. "I'll always love you Matt. You know that right?"

"Of course; I'll always love you too. We're starting real lives soon with college and everything and I don't think I could leave knowing we weren't friends. I don't think I could live with myself if I didn't have you in my life. Promise me that no matter what, we'll always stay in touch."

If my heart was beating, it would be pounding in my chest right about now. I squeezed his hands tightly and looked him straight in the eye. "College graduation, weddings, babies; you name it, I'll be there."

He said nothing as he pulled me to him and gave me the tightest bear hug any human could give. "Same here."

When I pulled back, I smirked. "However, I want you to apologize to Damon."

He narrowed his eyes, the smile still on his lips. "Alright, alright," he said and I watched him walk up to Damon.

I was going to listen in when it happened. It was as if someone had flipped a switch in my head and I could hear everyone's thoughts at once. The sheer force of it made me stagger backwards and I had to grip the counter in order to hold myself up. _Outside_ came a stern voice a couple of times and I made my way to the door. I scarcely noticed my name being called and I held up my index finger to Damon as I passed him and once I was outside, the voices stopped. I took deep breaths as I leaned against the wall to clear my head. The locket pulsed, sending chills down my spine as I opened my eyes and almost cried out. "Stefan," I mumbled, afraid I was seeing things.

He had his head tilted a little to the side like he always did when he was amused. "Elena."

I was very afraid, but I knew better than to let him see that. I pushed myself off of the wall and stared at him, unsure of what he was going to do next. "You're not dead."

His lips turned up to a smile. "Technically I am." His face hardened. "And so are you."

"It's not like you left me much of a choice. Your girlfriend was the one that killed me," I snarled.

His fists clenched at his sides and I straightened up. Faster than I had ever seen him move, he had me pinned to the wall and a knife in my stomach. My fangs slid out as I cried out in pain. The blade was laced with vervain and the tip was made of wood. It was nothing lethal, but it hurt me nonetheless. "But you're the one that killed her," he hissed in my ear before sinking his fangs into my neck.

* * *

**a/n: I have a big research paper due so if I don't update this week, it's because of that. As soon as it's over, I will continue. I just decided to be evil and leave you hanging! thanks for the reviews!**


	11. Chapter 11

**a/n: I decided to procrastinate instead. You're welcome :)**

ELEVEN

As suddenly as he had attacked, he was gone. The dull lights from the street began to flicker as I sank to the ground. I could feel the blood oozing out of my stomach and throat. Because of the vervain, I was unable to heal. I dragged myself around the corner where anyone leaving wouldn't be able to see me and concentrated on Damon. I put my hand over my stomach and it came away black with blood. I tried to stand and only fell back down. "Elena?" came Matt's voice and I looked up at him in horror. My fangs were out and I knew he could see them.

"Get Damon!" I hissed, my voice strangled with pain.

He nodded and in a matter of seconds, Damon was there. "I'm going to kill him," he said harshly, indicating he could smell Stefan from the bite wound. He looked at Matt who had gone very pale.

I followed his gaze as he lifted me to his feet. "No, Damon, I-"

"You were going to tell him anyway. Matt, come here," he demanded.

Matt moved as if he weren't in control of his movements and as he approached, I put the pain aside for a moment before I pinned him between the wall and I. Last time I hunted I didn't care that Damon had been watching, but this somehow felt very awkward. I shoved the thought to the back of my mind as I put my lips at Matt's throat and slid my fangs into the skin. He let out a moan of pleasure once his body relaxed from the initial pain. His blood had my body ablaze with renewed life and I drank deeply. This was much more satisfying then the first time I had had fresh blood and I felt more connected to Matt than ever before. His arms wrapped around me and I could sense the beginning of arousal, signaling me to pull away. Matt was breathing hard, his eyes half closed.

I looked down and my wound was healed. My shirt was still torn and bloody as was my neck, but the blood was still there. I turned to Damon. "Should I give him some?"

He shrugged, his eyes cold with hate. "He doesn't need it," he said and then rushed forward when Matt collapsed. He set Matt on the ground where he was passed out sitting up. "It's just shock," he assured me. I moved towards the door, but Damon jerked me back. "You can't go back in there."

He let go of me and there was blood on his hand from where he had grabbed me. My hand was still slimy with blood. My nose wrinkled and it struck me as funny that after all that had happened, being covered in blood was gross. "Then I'll call them," I said and pulled out my phone.

I dialed John and he answered on the first ring. "Elena?"

"I'm outside with Damon and Matt. I think you and Alaric should come out here too," I said and hung up. "What are we going to do?" I asked, pointing at Matt.

Before he answered, Alaric, Jenna, and John came bursting outside and started shouting questions at the same time. Jenna could only stare at me, unable to see anything but the blood. She hadn't noticed Matt until Damon mentioned him. "You two take them to the boarding house and I will meet you there shortly."

"Where are you going?" I asked, afraid to be without him.

"To tell his mother and Caroline that Matt left with us," he replied before walking back inside.

John and Alaric carried Matt to John's car and I rode with him to the boarding house. "What happened?" he asked.

I closed my eyes and leaned harder against the seat. I didn't want to talk about it more than I had to. "I'll explain when everyone's there," I said lightly, unable to get the raw hate on Stefan's face as he looked at me. We got to the house first and I helped John carry him to the couch in the formal living room even though I could have carried him by myself. John went to get a glass of water while I sat by him on the couch and stroked the side of his face with my non bloody hand. When he came back, I went upstairs to change and wash up and when I went back downstairs, Jenna, Alaric, Bonnie, and Damon were gathered in the living room. "Bonnie?"

_He was going to go after Stefan_, her mind reached across mine and I lifted an eyebrow at her. She had thought that directly at me, but aloud she said, "I wanted to check on Matt."

_Thank you_ I directed to her and she nodded, indicating that she heard me. I was completely astounded that she had been willing to sit in a car with him especially with his current mood. "Okay, before everyone starts questioning me again, here's what happened," I said and in one breath told them what happened.

"He just attacked you and then ran away?" Alaric said as if it didn't make sense to him either.

I nodded even as Jenna's thoughts flowed through me. _From what Alaric's been telling me, maybe it was just to get her blood._ I was surprised she hadn't said it out loud because it was exactly what I was thinking. "Say that aloud," I said, looking at her.

She moved back in her seat on the couch, forgetting she knew I could read minds. "Alaric's been giving me updates about you." Her voice was tight, making me feel guilty that I hadn't spoken to her since I told her about my death. "What if Stefan just came here to get your blood and take it back to Isobel?"

"That's what I was thinking, but there is no other source of magick in town. We looked for it last night," I said and saw the nods of agreement around the room.

"It doesn't mean that they don't have a witch or warlock already, one that hasn't used their powers," Bonnie threw in.

I looked at Damon who had yet to say anything and I could tell he was deliberately not speaking because he was close to lashing out. It wasn't something I wanted the others to see. I poured him a drink despite the look of motherly disapproval from Jenna as the others speculated what was going on. "Relax, he's gone now," I said as I stood next to him. He was lounging in the doorway between the main floor and the basement.

He gripped the glass so tightly I thought it would shatter. "He's not gone; he's not going to leave until you're dead."

I forced him to look at me. "I know that. If we go after him, he'll be expecting us. Damon, I need you to be calm. If you're going to be like this, then I'm going to panic and the last thing this town needs is two more vampires out for blood."

I was on the verge of tears and he saw the frustration in my eyes. He handed me the glass and lifted an eyebrow. "You need this more than I do," he breathed as he kissed my forehead lightly before we returned to the living room.

Jenna eyed the drink in my hand, but said nothing and I set it down half empty. "Okay, I know Isobel has plans to bring Katherine back and they need my blood to do it. Now they have my blood, so it's only a matter of time before something big happens. Everyone needs to keep an eye out and be on high alert. There's nothing we can do right now and I need to talk to Matt."

"She's right, we should go," Jenna said as she stood up, drawing Alaric with her.

"I'll give you a ride home," John said to Bonnie.

She looked at me and I nodded slightly, letting her know she could trust him. I walked with Bonnie to the porch and stopped her before she met John at his car. "How did you know I could hear you?"

"I didn't, but I thought I would try it anyway. Now that we know you're a telepath, we can use it to our advantage," she said and groaned. "Mom was pretty angry when I left."

"I can imagine," I said and hugged her.

"Are you going to tell him?" she asked, nodding her head in Matt's direction since the door was open.

"I have to; I did feed on him," I said with a smile.

"Good luck," she said and I watched them all drive away before going back inside.

"When I was a vampire, I didn't go around telling everyone I knew," Damon scolded as I turned to look at Matt.

"Everyone you knew already knew what you were," I countered, barely smiling. "Besides, the only person left is Caroline and I won't be telling her unless she finds herself in some situation with me. She might accidentally tell her mother and no matter what kind of nightmarish creature I am, she has no problem spilling my secrets to get back at me."

Matt moved on the couch and I could sense that he was stirring. "I'll be upstairs."

"Will you?" I asked, staring at him intently.

There was a spark of contemplation in his eyes before he nodded. "Yes, I promise I won't go after Stefan," he vowed and disappeared up the stairs.

I moved closer to Matt and when his eyes opened, he nearly jumped off the couch at the sight of me. "Elena? What the hell is going on? You _bit_ me!"

"What do you remember?" I asked, keeping my distance from him.

"I was apologizing to you and then I went to talk to Damon. You practically ran out of the Grill and I went to check on you and I found you covered in blood," he said, horror all over his face as he relived it. "You're a v-" he stopped short and started laughing hysterically. I arched my brow, but didn't comment. "Sorry, it's just, you can say the word all you want, but when you actually mean it, it sounds so stupid."

"I know."

He wasn't expecting me to go along with it. He was expecting me to tell him it was a prank, a dream; anything other than the truth. There was a minute of heavy silence until he seemed to have figured it out in his mind. "Does Damon know?" he asked, having chosen to accept the truth.

I laughed, actually laughed at his question. "Who do you think made me a vampire?" I asked after I had calmed down a little.

"So, Damon is a guy who means forever," he said quietly, going back to our conversation from a few days ago.

I shrugged, "Not usually, but like I said, he's different with me." I could see the gears turning in his head and I realized my mistake in telling him. He was thinking about Vickie. I swallowed hard, my laughter gone as though it had never happened. "I need to tell you something and you're not going to like it, but I'm tired of lying to you."

His jaw tightened as if he was the one that could read minds and his body tensed in anticipation. "Tell me."

And I did. When I was done talking, he was vividly imagining killing Damon over and over again. I had to take a few steps back in order to stay out of his mind; away from the images. "I'm sorry Matt."

He shook his head, "Elena, how could you be with someone like that?" he yelled and took a step closer.

Damon sensed Matt's anger and chose that moment to stand by my side. "Back off," he said through gritted teeth. He wasn't happy about my decision to tell Matt, but I was tired of keeping secrets that altered people's lives.

"Why did you do it then?" Matt asked him.

My heart, had it not already been dead, would have stopped beating at the sign of tears in his eyes. I looked at Damon and secretly hoped that he would be sensitive, but he wasn't. "I was bored."

Matt's fist balled and he took another step forward. "Matt," I warned and he stopped.

"She was getting on my nerves from the amount of times I had attacked her and she wouldn't die. Besides, one less druggie in the world. If it wasn't me that had killed her, it would have been the drugs and you know it."

I had never cared for Vickie, but Damon's words stung me. I couldn't fathom the hurt Matt must have been feeling. "You had no right to make that decision for her!" Without thinking, he lunged at Damon who simply stepped aside and let Matt fall on his face in the hallway. "You killed her!" he seethed and knocked me aside when I went to help him up.

"That's generally how people turn," Damon retorted, sounding more like his old self.

Matt pushed himself to his feet, confusion clear on his face. He looked at me, "I thought you said-"

"Damon turned him, but it was Stefan who killed her," I said tightly. "Just like it was Stefan who brought Katherine back and who attacked me and nearly killed me tonight." That add on was bitter and it made both of them soften.

"Elena-" they started.

I held out my hand to cut them both off. "Matt, I need you to not tell Caroline. Her mom is a threat to me and Damon. You can hate me if you want, I'll understand," I said and turned my back on both of them. I went to Damon's room and slammed the door. My mind replayed everything since the start of senior year and by the time I came to the present, I was sobbing on the bed and Damon was pulling me into his arms.


	12. Chapter 12

**a/n: and boy did I procrastinate! In the book, Tyler's last name was Smallwood so if I put that down, it's supposed to be Lockwood (don't know why they didn't keep it) but SPOILER ALERT for those that have NOT read the books...**

TWELVE

It had been a few weeks since graduation and people had gotten into the magick that was summer. Everyone had settled into their routines of barbecues, camping trips, and late night hang outs around fire pits. Bonnie had gotten a summer job at the Grill as a waitress through Matt and because her parents had gotten her a car for graduation, she was spending most of her off time here rather than at her house. It felt good knowing that she and Damon had settled everything between them and I no longer had to worry. Matt was still talking to me, but he wasn't going out of his way to do so. Caroline was at her father's until July and every time I went to my house, Alaric was there, looking like he was caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

Damon and I were laying in the grass of the backyard looking up at the stars. Something I had started doing a week ago once the "eternity" thing clicked in my mind. The feeling of forever made me want to know the stars. Damon had found me one night and had joined me ever since. "I told Bonnie we were leaving in the fall," I said, breaking the silence.

"We are?"

"The whole town would talk if I didn't go away to 'college' and you know it," I explained and turned my head to look at him. "I have to leave eventually, it just seems like the right time to do it."

He looked at me and I felt his hand slide into mine. "We couldn't come back."

I nodded once. "We could for Jeremy's graduation and then that would be it," I said and looked back up at the sky. The moon was full and to my sharp sight, it was like looking at the midday sun. "Besides, we'll be traveling the world. I figured we could just have them meet us where ever we end up."

I grinned as he obscured my vision, his weight on top of mine was a familiar pleasure. "And when were you going to discuss this with me?"

"Now," I said, my grin widening.

His hand slid down my sides and then dipped behind the waistband of my jeans. I hissed lightly as his fingers found my core. Someone cleared their throat and he removed his hand, but stayed where he was. I looked over his shoulder to see Matt and Bonnie trying to look everywhere except at us. "This better be good," Damon mumbled and I laughed as I pushed him off of me and sat up.

He lounged back on his elbows, his head tipped up towards the sky. I sat up and drew my legs up so I could lean forward on my knees. "What's up?" I asked, gesturing to the ground near us.

They exchanged glances before sitting down. Matt gave an uneasy glance to Damon, but sat anyway. His being here was a little strange, but I left it alone. "This is a spur of the moment thing, but I think we should go camping," Bonnie said.

Damon kept looking at the stars, but his signature smirk was plastered on his face. "Why?" I asked, looking at them.

"Because things have been weird between us and I think two or three days alone forcing us to talk would be good," Matt said.

"Speak for yourself," Damon said as he sat up, looping an arm around my waist.

"Come on, we do this every year," Bonnie added, trying to guilt me into saying yes. She knew it was going to be the last time we would do this and I was guessing she had let Matt in on my plans to leave otherwise he wouldn't be here.

"Yes, but Caroline's not here," I said. That earned a grin from all three of us. As much as we loved her, she was not someone you could take camping. She hated it, but she knew we liked it so she went with us; complaints and all. I looked at Damon again, my chin resting on his shoulder. "What do you say?"

"Do you think it's a good idea?" he countered. I thought for a moment and then nodded. "Then it sounds fun. Haven't been camping in years."

"Really?" Matt asked before he could stop himself.

Damon smirked, his eyes flashing with humor. "I never really had reason to go into the woods. My prey was mostly inside bars and clubs."

The air shifted uncomfortably and I nudged him with my elbow. "On that note, we should go. I'm assuming you already have your stuff," I said to Bonnie and Matt. They both nodded in response.

Damon and I stood up a bit quicker than them and started for the house. My necklace began to pulse and we both stopped. Damon's fangs lengthened and I closed my eyes to reach out with my senses. "Something's here," Bonnie whispered as she sensed it too.

"Get inside," I demanded around my elongated canines. Slowly we approached the back door and I shut Bonnie and Matt inside. My necklace was still pulsing, but I couldn't see anything in the darkness. "Do you see anything?"

"No," he replied and looked at me. "See if you can hear thoughts," he suggested and I closed my eyes to concentrate.

I searched for any thought patterns other than the three people closest to me and just when I was about to give up, there was a wolf's howl that made me jump. "Werewolf?" I asked, looking at him in fear.

He opened the door and called for Bonnie. "Is this spell just for other vampires or people of supernatural origin?"

She shook her head and held up her hands. "I don't know. I assumed just vampires. Why?" she asked then the wolf howled again.

Matt swore under his breath as I closed the door. I could hear the soft thud of paws on dirt and closed my eyes again. They snapped back open as I heard a thought and ran off the porch before Damon could stop me. I stopped dead in my tracks as the wolf stepped into view from the edge of the woods that surrounded the boarding house. "Tyler? Tyler Lockwood?" I called out in a shaky voice. I had heard a strangled thought and it sounded like his voice.

The wolf stood on its back legs, howled, and turned into Tyler right before my eyes. "Help me," he said and crashed to the ground. My eyes were wide and my jaw had dropped; not because Tyler had shown up in my backyard wearing absolutely nothing, but because he proved suspicions that werewolves did exist.

As if I needed any more surprises.

Damon and I carried him into the house and put him on the couch. "What the hell is he doing here?" Matt asked as I headed to the stairs.

"I'll explain in a minute," I mumbled as he followed me to the top.

I took a deep breath as I decided that Stefan's clothes would be a better fit than Damon's and I had to force myself to open the door. "Elena?" Matt called when I hesitated a second more than I should have.

"It's fine," I said tightly and pushed open the door. _So this is where Stefan lived_, Matt thought and before I knew it, I was saying, "Yes, this is Stefan's room."

He just looked at me and and smiled apologetically. I went to the dresser and opened the first drawer. I pulled out a dark blue shirt and held it for a few moments before I balled it up and tossed it to Matt. I could smell Stefan so clearly that I was torn between heart ache for the Stefan I once knew and the Stefan I had come to know. I pulled out a pair of jeans and rushed out of the room faster than Matt could blink. "That's creepy," he said as he followed me downstairs again.

"You'll get used to it," I assured him before handing him the jeans. "You've shared a locker room, you dress him."

"Gee, thanks," he muttered but helped Damon dress him. "Now will you explain what happened?"

I looked at Tyler and put my hand on his forehead. He was burning up and there was sweat already drenching his borrowed clothes. "Meet your first lycanthrope," Damon said as he went to the fridge to make a tall glass of blood.

Matt and Bonnie looked alarmed as they stared at him. Right when I was about to move my hand, he opened his eyes and gripped my wrist with as much force as Damon. "Elena? Did I hurt you?" He looked around the room and then back at me. "Where the hell am I?"

"My house," Damon said as he came back to us and offered the glass to Tyler.

"What the hell is that?"

"It's what you're craving," Damon answered and nodded his head. "Trust me, you'll feel better."

He was shaking and I felt bad for him, but he drank the blood without another protest and handed it to me when he was done. "What was that?"

"You don't want to know. Sit down," I said lightly. "Do you remember anything?"

He sat and then looked down at his clothes. "This is not what I was wearing."

"Seeing as though you weren't wearing anything-" Damon started but I cut him off with an elbow in the gut.

Tyler's jaw hardened to the point I was afraid his jaw would break. I stepped forward and exerted my strength to make him sit. I sat with him and he began to tremble all over again. "I don't know what happened."

I grabbed his hand and closed my eyes. He tried to pull away, but my strength was too much for him. I searched his mind, discovering new parts to this telepathy thing as I went, and saw the night as it had progressed for him. He had been in the woods drinking with friends when he felt it. He had started feeling sick and sluggish, thought it was the alcohol, and ignored it. It wasn't until the full moon reached its peak in the sky that he deserted the party and started running. Somewhere along the way, he had changed into the wolf and ended up in our backyard. Something in the back of his mind had told him that he would be safe here. I pulled away from him and stood up, wiping the sweat from my palms on my jeans. "Werewolf alright."

He was shaking his head but he wasn't nearly as surprised as he should have been. "My grandfather got put in the psychiatric ward for his rants and raves about being a werewolf. We all thought he was crazy," he muttered in a rush. Damon and I were the only ones that had heard him clearly.

I vaguely remembered something about a crazy relative, but I had never seen anything, just heard. "I guess he wasn't crazy," I said quietly.

He stared at me. "Why aren't you scared?" he asked and then looked at all of us. "This is something out of fantasy and you're acting as if this kind of shit happens every day."

He was on the verge of hysterics and I could tell that the blood had helped him calm down a little. "That's because it is something that happens every day," Matt said for me.

I nodded, "He's right Tyler."

I looked at Damon and he rolled his eyes. "You might as well tell the whole world."

"Hey, it's not like he was a friend or anything. Besides, he _is_ a werewolf," I argued and then looked at Tyler. "Matt is human, Bonnie is a witch, and Damon and I are vampires."

He was going to start laughing and just as I suspected, he collapsed instead. This time Damon was there to catch him and set him back on the couch. "Anyone else want to drop a bombshell?" Bonnie asked just to clear the air. No one said anything, unsure of where to go from here.


	13. Chapter 13

**a/n: decided to change the rating of this story from T to M because of this chapter. I was in the mood to write some decent smut and I figured it was much overdo ;) Thanks for the reviews! Enjoy!**

THIRTEEN

It probably wasn't the smartest idea, but I was laying on the grass in the backyard staring up at the stars. Damon was at the Grill with Alaric and John mostly because I had begged him to give me a night to myself. I wasn't completely alone, Tyler was still here. We let him stay in the guest bedroom until he gained control over the Change and in return he agreed to help us when we needed him. It was hot and muggy, but there was a slight breeze that moved my hair in a way that tickled my skin. This was the first time in a week that I could hear my own thoughts above everyone else's. My eyes remained shut even as Tyler opened the door and wandered down to sit next to me. I inhaled and caught a whiff of alcohol. I opened my eyes and saw him holding two bottles of beer. I sat up and took one from him. "You probably shouldn't be drinking until you know how it will affect you," I said before I took a sip.

"Probably," he returned and then groaned. "This is not how I planned to spend my summer."

"Really? You mean, werewolves, vampires, and werewolves aren't your idea of summer fun?" I teased and he nudged his shoulder against mine.

It was silent for a moment and I stared at the house in front of me. Tyler and I had known each other since before kindergarten and yet he was like a stranger to me. I knew he had a thing with Vickie off and on and that he hadn't exactly treated her well, but that was all I knew about him. The distant memory of him trying to kiss me in junior high brought a smile to my lips. "Can I ask you something?"

His voice was timid, afraid that I was going to think he was crazy after all. "Ask me anything Tyler. Your life isn't getting any weirder."

He smiled for a second and then took another long drink before he started asking questions. "How do you deal with your cravings?"

I began lightly tapping my ring against the bottle, vaguely aware that it was silent outside. Not even a chirping cricket anywhere near us. "Damon brought me to another city a few weeks ago to drink and from then I've been struggling." I thought of Matt's reaction to having me feed from him and vowed never to feed on friends again.

"Is it hard?"

I nodded as my lips closed around the bottle to take another drink. Human, I had been a lightweight and by now I would have felt tipsy. Vampire, I only felt a slight discomfort at drinking something I wasn't thirsty for. "Some days it's easy, others...not so much."

He nodded at that, the answer having been just enough for him. "I know you explained things to me about you and the Salvatores, but I can't help but feel that you left something out."

I bit my lip; of course I hadn't told him _everything_. He wasn't someone I knew on a friendly level and I didn't think discussing my love life with him was appropriate. Then again, he was willing to put his life on the line for us, so I did owe him a little insight. "Stefan started drinking human blood and lost control so I stopped seeing him for a while. Not broken up, just on a break." I had to stop because images of those days kept coming up. "All you need to know is that Stefan went behind our backs and brought Katherine back here to kill us."

"Why?"

"He thought Damon and I were sleeping together," I said and he shot me a look that said _well..._ "We weren't until we knew what he was planning," I informed him. I stood up, finishing off the beer as I did so. "Stefan betrayed all of us by bringing that bitch back here. His plan backfired and Katherine's dead so he's using my blood to bring her back. Again." The hurt of Stefan's betrayal coursed through me and the bottle shattered into pieces.

"Sorry," he said, getting to his feet.

I stopped him from approaching me as my hand healed on its own. "If you see him, don't believe a word he says," I told him before hurrying through the house to my room where I slammed the door and waited for Damon to come home.

* * *

The next day I learned that Bonnie was in Richmond for the birth of her cousin's baby and wouldn't be back for a few days. That left me feeling uneasy, but Damon assured me that we would be fine. Tyler had gone back to his house for the day because some family from out of town had come to see him. However, I knew it was mostly because he was a little bit afraid of me from last night and I couldn't blame him. Damon and I were curled up on the couch watching whatever movie was on TV at the moment. "Where is Tyler?" he asked as one of the movies ended, apparently just noticing the silence.

I looked up at him through my lashes because my head was on his shoulder. "He's been gone since early this morning." I stated. "He'll be back either tonight or tomorrow."

He stretched, forcing me to pull back slightly. He could not have been more happy about the fact that the house was just his again. "Finally. No pesky humans."

I smacked him lightly. "Hey now, not all of them are technically humans."

He just rolled his eyes and rested his head along the back of the couch. I looked around and smiled. Since we were alone, we might as well make good use of it. I reached across him to turn off the TV and he smirked as I straddled his hips. "Careful, once we start..."

"I don't plan on stopping," I breathed as I moved my lips down to his. His hands slid up my side until one was gripping my hip and the other was fisting in my hair. His tongue flickered in and out of my mouth, teasing me. I pushed forward with my body and he sank further into the couch. I reached down to unbutton his shirt and took my time. I pulled back and balanced on the edge of his knees while I pushed the shirt off of him, my nails lightly scraping his skin in the process. He watched me intently and for a moment, I thought he was going to put his hands behind his head and give me a lazy smile.

Instead, he remained still and followed my every move. I bent back down and kissed him briefly before nipping my way down his jaw; trailing my lips down his throat. At the base of his neck by his shoulder, I grazed his skin with my teeth without breaking the surface. He groaned and cupped my head in his hands as I made my way down his chest and then further down. He pulled my head back up for a mind blowing kiss and hugged my body close to his.

His hands glided over my jean-clad thighs in a way that told me he was frustrated by the very thought of them. I smiled into the kiss and then stopped when I heard a ripping sound followed by the feel of a draft on my legs. "I liked those jeans," I muttered with a semi-fake pout.

His palm cupped my cheek and he smiled, his fangs beginning to lengthen and without my pants, I could feel another part of him growing as well. His eyes moved in that way that always gave away his playful mood. "They were in the way," he returned and kissed me again. "I'll make it up to you."

"You better," I whispered as I moved my hands to undo his fly and eased him out of his boxers, my hand gently gliding back and forth. I smiled as he hardened even more and gasped when he tore away my underwear.

I let go of him so that I could take off my shirt and then he was there, inhaling the scent of my skin as he stuck his face between my breasts. His hands went to my back to undo my bra and groaned in excitement at the sight of them bare. I reached down again to guide him into me and he rocked hard against me. I sat up straight, my head falling backwards as my back arched to accept more of him. His hands were bracing me, holding me still. His fingers were digging into my flesh so hard that I could feel the blood trickle out. His teeth on my breasts made me whimper in anticipation and the feel of his fangs combined with his thrusts sent me hurtling into my first release.

When I came down, I was beneath him on the couch and he was kissing my neck. His teeth grazed my skin as his tongue traced small circles. I raked my nails down his back and just as I neared my second release, my phone rang. "Ignore it," he grumbled.

I nodded, I wasn't going to answer it. To let him know that I was not going anywhere, I sunk my fangs into his shoulder at the same time he bit my neck. We came at the same time and in the middle of it, the phone rang again. He collapsed on top of me while still inside me as we panted for air. The phone rang a third time and that sixth sense that something was wrong caused me to slip out from beneath him and get the phone that was on the island in the kitchen. Jenna had called all three times and when I called her back, there was no answer. I turned back around and jumped as Damon pressed my back against the counter. I was going to protest, but his lips cut me off and before I knew it, I was laying on the cool granite surface ready for yet another orgasm. "Damon..." I breathed and when I arched my head back, I heard the door fling open behind us.

"She's fine Jenna," came Alaric's voice before he closed the door and waited on the porch.

We finished and got dressed as fast as we could although Damon took a little longer than he could have. I thanked my lucky stars that my shirt was technically a dress, I had just worn pants underneath. I fixed my hair and opened the door for Alaric. "What?" I asked in a cold voice. I wasn't angry with him, but I was a little embarrassed and from his reddened cheeks, he was too. I was, after all, his student.

"I'm sorry about that," he said and cleared his throat. "But your aunt called and said no one answered. I was on my way over here to talk to you when she called me and..."

I nodded and stepped aside to let him in. "She was worried. I get it."

Damon held up a hand as a hello and made Alaric feel even more uncomfortable. "I'm going to be blunt so I can leave, but your aunt is cooking dinner at her house tonight for everyone and she wants you to be there," he rushed and then took a step towards the door.

"I thought you needed to talk to us," I said.

He nodded, "It can wait," he assured me and then walked as fast as he could without actually running.

When I turned back to Damon after closing the door, we both just stood there in silence. We both started smiling slowly and as we met each other half way, I buried my face in his shirt as I laughed and shook my head. I wanted to die of embarrassment until Damon's arms wrapped around me and I sighed heavily. "Thank God that wasn't John," was all I could say and his laughter reverberated though me.


	14. Chapter 14

**a/n: I really should be working on my paper.....but this is much more productive :)**

FOURTEEN

It was seven when we left the house and all I could think about was how awkward it would be. I couldn't sit still the entire way there and Damon only grinned at my discomfort. "Do you think he said something to Jenna?"

"Why would he?"

"I don't know," I said quietly and then shook my head, feeling the embarrassment all over again. "We need to start locking that door."

"Hey, if someone had knocked instead of rushing in, he wouldn't have seen anything. They all know about us anyway."

"Knowing and seeing are two very different things," I said and put my head on the headrest behind me. "We still haven't even told them about Tyler yet. I think we should do that tonight." He was going to say something in response when the necklace at my throat started to pulsate like it had on graduation. I noticed Damon's hands tighten on the steering wheel. We looked at each other for a second before he slammed down on the accelerator. As he sped towards the house I kept an eye out for anything unusual and had to brace myself as he slammed on the breaks to park.

We both flew up the steps and burst into the house, fangs out and ready to attack when we saw everyone staring at us. I counted heads and came up with seven instead of the four that should have been there. I felt my face return to normal and my fangs retract, but I was still cautious at the sight of Pearl, Anna, and another vampire from the tomb. One that hadn't tried to kill Damon and Stefan in revenge. "Miss Gilbert," Pearl said and inclined her head to me. "Damon." Her voice was a little colder when she spoke to him.

I looked at Jeremy who had kept his head down and the moment my eyes found him, I could hear his thoughts. _I should have told her first._ "When did you come back?" Damon asked as he stepped forward. The pulsating began to lighten as if it sensed the lack of a threat.

"A few hours ago," Anna said as she put her hand on Jeremy's arm as if to reassure him.

I looked at John who was looking less than enthusiastic at having more vampires in town. We all knew he only put up with Damon because of me but other than that, he still hated vampires. Alaric went back to stirring something in the pot behind him and I smiled to myself as I realized he hadn't look out way. Conversations seemed to pick up where Damon and I had cut them short and soon it was as if nothing happened. "Jere, can I talk to you?" I asked after everyone had eaten and we were waiting on one of Jenna's desserts.

He nodded and followed me outside onto the back porch. I led him a little further away from the house so the others couldn't hear us. "Why did you invite them back?"

"I thought they could help."

"Pearl was Katherine's best friend for I don't know how many years," I said sternly.

His eyes went wide. "I didn't know."

"Listen, I get that Anna is a friend of yours, but-"

"Elena, I'm a human," he said, cutting me off. "Uncle John and Mr. Saltzman have those rings that heal them if they get hurt. That's why they're able to help you. I hate having to sit back and watch you get attacked knowing that if I try to help, I'll die or distract you."

I sniffed the air and took a step closer to him. I swore under my breath. "You took her blood."

He nodded briefly. "I want to fight for you because you're still my sister no matter what biology says." That made me want to cry, but his next sentence washed that feeling away. "If something happens to me, at least I'll come back."

I grabbed his hands in mine and looked him in the eye. "I'm not going to tell you you can't become a vampire. However, I want you to promise me that you won't make that decision until you're a hundred percent sure it's what you want. I would hope you would wait a few more years until you're really an adult."

"You didn't," he said and immediately regretted it.

I shook my head and stepped away from him. "I didn't have a choice Jeremy." There was a few moments of silence before I turned to go back to the house. "Thank you for bringing them back. We could use all the help we can get," I said and noticed that he wasn't following me.

My blood froze in my veins as I knew what I would see before I even turned around. Isobel was holding Jeremy still with one arm, the other was behind his back. From the pain on his face, I could tell there was something digging into his skin. She smiled cruelly at me. "Hello Elena."

"Let him go," I snarled, my face in full vampire mode.

"Stop!" she demanded after I took a few steps towards her. "I heard he has Anna's blood in him. I have a wooden stake placed on the back of his heart. If you do as I say, I'll let him go. Ignore me and I'll make sure he just dies."

My fangs bit into my lip as I tried to ignore the urge to tear her in two. "What do you want?" I asked in a tight voice, one that I barely recognized.

"I will let him live if you agree to come with me."

I considered it while I concentrated on sending Jeremy a private message and I hoped that he got it. _Get inside and tell Damon. I will be fine._ From the wide-eye expression he was giving me I could tell he had heard it. "I'll go," I said meekly, suddenly wishing I had remained on the porch to talk to Jeremy.

"Good girl," she said and shoved Jeremy to the ground. In an instant, she was behind me and I groaned as she injected me with vervain. I staggered to my knees and could feel the poison seep through my body rapidly. I could barely see Jeremy enter the house before everything went black.

* * *

My body was stiff and I was frigid because of the damp concrete floor. The musky smell of mold sent waves of nausea coursing through me. There was a dull light behind my eye lids and I was afraid to open them. I reached out with my other senses and came up with nothing. When I got the nausea under control, I pushed myself up and leaned against a rough brick wall. My eyes half-opened and I saw small streaks of moonlight shining through cracks in one of the walls. I put my head in my hands, feeling sluggish as I did so. My body was sore to the point where I wanted to scream at any movement. My hand went immediately to my throat and grasped the locket that was still there. It made me ache for Damon before I checked to see if I was wearing my ring. I sighed heavily, a few tears sliding down my cheeks as I felt the cool metal against my other fingers. I took a deep breath and forced myself to my feet. I needed to get out of here and I couldn't do that sitting down. The moment I did, I felt another wave of nausea.

"Elena?"

All dizziness and other unfortunate feelings went away at the sound of that familiar voice. I cursed myself for not knowing that he was there and I clenched my fists to my side as he stepped forward into the small streams of light. "Stefan."

In the blink of an eye, he had his arms tightly around me. I had been intent on lashing out, but his tears on my hair caught me off guard. "Oh God, I'm so sorry. I should have been there to protect you," he whispered and then tightened his hold. "I was so lost in trying not to give in that I lost track of everything."

I shoved him away from me, finally regaining control of myself. "What the hell are you talking about?" I shouted.

The hurt on his face made it hard for me to be angry with him. "I hurt you," he said tightly.

I stared at him. "You attacked me. Twice. You almost killed John right in front of me. You brought Katherine to town!" I yelled.

He was looking at me with horrified eyes. He shook his head and took a step forward and then stopped when I backed up. "Elena, I would never do that to you."

"You almost killed Damon," I whispered. "You threatened my family."

He was throughly confused. "What does Damon have to do with this?"

It was then that I reached out and searched his thoughts, surprised that I could read his mind and almost dropped to my knees at what I found. He really didn't remember anything that had happened since he came back the night he had been "attacked." Katherine had set him up from the very beginning. "No," I breathed, feeling tears well up in my eyes again before they rolled down my face.

He was there, cupping my face and holding me up. My back was against the brick as he used his body to keep me still. "I'm so sorry Elena," he breathed and pressed his lips to mine. We were both crying, our salty tears wetting our lips.

I wanted very much to pull away, but was physically still to weak to do so. Mentally, I was a wreak. I was torn between wanting to believe that everything was real, that Stefan wasn't really the person we had come to know these past few months and the underlying threat that this was a trick. His hands crushed my jaw as if he was trying to prove to himself that I was real and his kisses were anything but gentle. "Stefan..." I breathed as I could feel another wave of nausea creeping up on me.

Before I could pull him away, he tore himself from me and stared at me in total disbelief. "Katherine?"

I was about to protest when I noticed my fangs indenting my lower lip. "I'm not-" I started as a door opened and we both looked to see Isobel standing there.

She smiled that cruel smile that seemed to be plastered to her face. "I'm glad you two could catch up." As she said this, she pulled another body through the door and tossed it a little ways away from us.

As I realized who it was, I ran to her side. "Bonnie?" I cried as I dropped to my knees and made sure she was alright. She was unconscious, but other than that she seemed to be okay. "What have you done?" I asked Isobel as I stood up, more enraged now.

She looked from Bonnie to Stefan before resting her eyes on me. "The funny thing about compulsion is that it works on even the weakest of vampires. If done correctly, they will never know what they did and no one will ever suspect anything is wrong."

"You did this?" I was livid now and if I was sure that she was alone, I would have rushed her.

She nodded to Bonnie at my feet. "She did most of the work." She then nodded to Stefan. "He helped too. He got your blood for me and Bonnie..." she said with another smile curling at her lips. "Bonnie brought Katherine back." She turned to saunter out and paused at the door. "I hope both of you can control your hunger," she said, her eyes coming to rest on Bonnie before she headed out, slamming the door behind her.


	15. Chapter 15

FIFTEEN

I immediately dropped to the floor beside Bonnie, undoing the ropes that bound her wrists and ankles. I shook her until she came to and she began to tremble with fear until she realized it was me. I hugged her hard thankful that she was there with me and not dead. "No offense, but I really hate your mother," she said through her tears and I laughed despite the situation.

"None taken," I returned and helped her to her feet.

It was then that she noticed Stefan and a new wave of fear passed over her face as she looked at me. Stefan looked hurt by that fear and took a step back. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Bonnie, he doesn't know anything," I said lightly, staring at him, wondering if he was going to attack us at all.

He turned his eyes to me as if he were really seeing me for the first time. "What did she mean when she said she hoped both of us could control our hunger?"

Bonnie had her arm around my waist that tightened the moment he asked that question. I was supporting her as well and returned her squeeze. "I don't have time to explain this to you. We need to focus on getting out of here."

"When?" he asked, his voice laced with betrayal and a deep hurt that I knew neither of us would ever get over.

"When Katherine killed me," I said bitterly and set Bonnie on an empty crate.

"Katherine?"

I took a deep breath before going to the wall with the cracks in it. "This opens up to the outside. We should try to break it down," I said and looked around the room for any sort of weapon we could use to hit the brick.

"Do you have your necklace?" Bonnie asked and I nodded before I realized she probably couldn't see me.

"Yes," I said aloud.

"Then Damon should be here soon," she assured me.

I nodded to myself and continued to search the room. "I know, but I'm not going to sit here idly in the meantime. Are you okay?" I asked her.

She nodded, but didn't say anything. I searched the room from top to bottom and came up with nothing. I slammed my palms against the wall and gave a frustrated snarl. Stefan went to reach for me and I shoved him away. "Don't touch me."

He stepped back and held his hands up in defeat. "What happened to you? I swear I never meant to hurt you."

"It doesn't change anything," I replied before moving to sit by Bonnie but keeping my eye on Stefan just in case. He hung his head and moved to the opposite side of the room and sank to the floor.

"You should take some," Bonnie said as quietly as she could and then realized he could hear her no matter how low her voice was. _You need to keep your strength up._

_I'm afraid of what he'll do if he smells the blood_, I told her. _He's weak enough as it is. Isobel put you down here to torture him._

She sighed heavily and I could hear her heart pounding in my ears. I had to move away from her slightly in order to clear my head and ignore the blood singing in her veins. "I was outside taking the trash out before I woke up here."

"In Richmond?" I asked.

She nodded. "It never occurred to me that she would come after me there," she said and wiped tears from her face.

A thought came to me then as I remembered the day that I had tried to find Katherine's journals by connecting to her. _Is there a way that I could connect to Katherine's body while she's alive?_

Her eyes went wide at the initial thought and then closed as she mulled it over. _Yes...Why?_

She knew what I had planned and by the tone of her thought, I could tell she was not happy at all about it. I filled her in on what I had in mind and although she really, really didn't like it, she agreed to help me. It was then that I noticed Stefan starting at us. From the look on his face I could tell he had witnessed our facial expressions change as we had a conversation without any verbal communication. He didn't say anything, but his thoughts were very clear that he knew something was going on. "Why don't we just try the door?" he suggested, earning a blank stare from both Bonnie and I.

"I think Isobel is a bit smarter than that," I said and Bonnie nodded.

"And if she did leave it open, I would rather sit here then find out why she left it open."

The pulsing in my necklace seemed to pick up the pace and I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. The door opened and I got to my feet, drawing Bonnie with me as I did so. Isobel stood there, watching us. "Hand over the witch."

I felt Bonnie step closer to my back. "You'll have to get through me first," I said.

Stefan moved to stand beside me to help shield Bonnie. "And me."

I tried not to react to that gesture and kept my focus on Isobel. She rolled her eyes and stood the way women do when they know they're going to get their way. "I don't have all day Elena. I'll kill you both; daughter or not, I really don't care."

"I'm stronger than you and you know it," I said in a dangerous tone, practically daring her to try it.

"Do you really think that I'm the only vampire here?" she asked and five other vampires entered the room, forming a semi-circle behind her.

"Tomb vampires," Stefan muttered and I wanted to cry.

"You spent all of your time finding those journals," she said and smiled her cruel smile before she continued. "Did you ever even stop to consider what I was really after? All I needed was your blood."

"Why would you want Katherine back? She only cares about herself and if you ever get in her way, she'll kill you," Stefan said. To hear those words from his mouth nearly tore my heart in two.

"Because Katherine wants what we want," she explained and looked at the other vampires. "We want to make sure that the people of this town tell the world about vampires and what we can do. Then we're going to send a message by killing everyone. We are better than humans and we deserve to rule."

My mouth dropped as I stared at her. "Really? That's your big plan? Give me a break, that's the probably the dumbest thing I've ever heard!" I yelled, shaking my head and tried to bite back my laughter.

She swallowed hard before looking at Stefan. "Did you know that she's seeing Damon now?"

"Don't you dare change the subject!" I raged and lunged for her. She wasn't expecting it and we crashed to the floor. Her head bounced off of the concrete and before I could do any real damage, I was pulled away from her. There were two vampires, each holding one of my arms.

I could see Stefan in a similar struggle with two others and fought harder as I saw the remaining vampire carry Bonnie towards the door. "You will be sorry when this is over," Isobel said as she stood up and rubbed the back of her head. "Everyone you care about will be gone and I'm going to make sure that you stay alive to feel that pain." She looked to the other vampires and nodded before she left to follow the one who had taken Bonnie.

My decision was instant and I closed my eyes to concentrate on everyone in the room. When I had their minds in my control, I lashed out. It was quite a sight to see all five of them stagger to the floor, grabbing their heads and crying out. I was scrambling their brains and it was causing them sheer agony. There was blood gushing from their noses and I could feel myself getting lightheaded from the overuse of power. I stopped and stumbled into the wall, waiting for the room to stop spinning before I searched the tomb vampires to find a key to the door. It was on the first vampire I searched and found a stake. Without much thought, I staked them and made my way to Stefan, for a brief second I thought about it and then dropped the stake. I put his arm around my shoulder and carried him to the door. Once outside the room, I set Stefan down and began to walk away. "Elena-" he choked out.

I turned to see him gather himself up. "I don't need you," I told him, even though it hurt to say it.

"If that were true, you would have killed me. I get that things have changed, but Bonnie is in trouble and so are we. If we are going to stop Isobel, you're going to need my help."

He was right and he knew it. "Fine," I said and began walking.

He pulled me back again. "What the hell was that back there?"

"My secret," I informed him and pulled out of his grasp. He wiped the blood from his upper lip and followed me through the twists and turns that made up an old abandoned warehouse in the middle of the woods. We stopped once we were outside and noticed a ritual circle set up with Bonnie, Isobel, and some more tomb vampires all gathered around. I closed my eyes and reached out with my senses just to see if that was it for vampires or any other supernatural creatures and hoped that I was wrong when I sensed nothing. "Where are you?" I breathed aloud.

"What?"

"Damon and the others," I muttered.

He was silent for a moment. "How would they know we're here?"

I held up my locket so he could see it. "Bonnie spelled it so that Damon would always be able to find me. He has one too."

I hadn't realized I was crying until he wiped a tear off my cheek, the water smearing across my skin. "You love him."

"Yes."

"You love me."

I opened my mouth to respond but was cut off as his lips descended onto mine. I pushed him away forcefully. "Now is _not_ a good time for this conversation."

"Elena-"

"In case you haven't noticed, my best friend is over there being compelled to bring back a psychotic bitch who wants to practically destroy the world because she couldn't stop playing her games! She used you and Damon and it backfired on her and almost got her killed. I-"

I stopped at the sound of a wolf howling and my heart swelled with joy. Stefan looked around as if in disbelief. "Wolves?"

"Tyler," I said and his brow shot up. "It means they're on their way." My hope died almost instantly as I felt something sharp digging into my back. More vampires had found us and they shoved us forward until we were at the edge of the ritual. They forced us to our knees in front of Isobel and I looked up at her. I could see Bonnie struggling against two vampires who were holding her in place. As I stared at Isobel, I wondered what she must have been like as a human because I could see nothing in her as a vampire that would have made Alaric fall for her. "You already have my blood. What do you need us for?" I asked and felt fingers digging into my shoulder in order to keep me on my knees.

"The others were supposed to kill both of you," she said starting from me to Stefan. I smiled at the fact that she didn't know about my acquired ability. I reached out to briefly touch her mind and almost cried in relief at her blindness. She didn't know about anything other than the fact that my DNA was the same as Katherine's and that was why she needed it. She knew I had witch blood in me, but she didn't know what it had done for me. "But, since you're here, you might as well watch." She smiled then as she reached out and cupped my face. "Besides, I'm sure she'd much rather return the favor and kill you herself."

I spat at her and she hit me in return. Her ring tore my cheek and I could feel the small trickle of blood before the wound began to heal a little. "We'll see," I muttered and looked to Stefan who had gone paler at the sight of Isobel's outburst. He wanted to kill her as much as I did; maybe even more so.

All I could do was watch as she approached Bonnie and cupped her jaw just as tightly as she had held mine. Only Bonnie was human and I could tell she was seconds away from breaking it. She looked into Bonnie's frightened eyes and even from where I knelt, I could feel the compulsion dripping out of Isobel's mouth as she told Bonnie what to do with the vial of blood that she pressed into her hand. I wanted to reach out and crush her mind the way I had done to the other vampires but I was afraid that it would cause me to lose the only advantage I had. I watched in horror as Bonnie stopped struggling and stood straighter, more confident than ever. Isobel released her and watched as she stepped forward on her own, chanting a spell as she did so. She opened the vial and poured it onto the pile of ash that lay in the middle of the painted pentagram I just noticed. The wind had picked up all around us and the chanting took on a new level of creepiness. Bonnie's voice got louder and louder as the wind became so forceful even the other vampires were having trouble standing up.

And then suddenly everything stopped. Bonnie sank to her knees, finished the chant, and then dropped completely to the ground. The spell had taken every ounce of energy she had and I was afraid of what she would be like when she woke up. No one moved as we waited and watched for something to happen. It was in the silence that I noticed the pile of ash began to move up in a spiral and right before my very eyes it turned into Katherine.


	16. Chapter 16

SIXTEEN

For as livid as I was, I could only stare in awe of the fact that she was back. It was something so unheard of and yet, I had seen it with my own two eyes. Before anyone could do anything, one of the vampires holding Stefan cried out and fell to the ground withering as his body shriveled up into the corpse that he was supposed to be. I used the momentary distraction to break free from the two holding me and in that brief second, all hell broke loose. I had gotten to my feet and looked to see Stefan grappling with his other captor. I barely had time to react as a vampire launched himself my way, only to be knocked aside by a howling wolf. I nodded to Tyler when I met his eyes and then turned back to get Bonnie. She was the only one unconscious and I needed her awake to help me move forward with my plan.

Out of the corner of my eye I looked for Damon, but kept the majority of my focus on reaching Bonnie. I dropped to my knees beside her and shook her gently while looking around us. There were only a few dead bodies and luckily they were none that I knew. I saw Pearl, Anna, and Harper briefly as they moved from one tomb vampire to the next. I looked over my shoulder to see John and Alaric fighting with Isobel. It made my heart sink, but they seemed to be holding their own. Stefan was still fighting with other tomb vampires and I couldn't see Damon or Katherine anywhere. Before I could think too much about it, Bonnie opened her eyes and I helped her to her feet. "Thank God you're okay," I breathed as I put her arm over my shoulders, looping my arm around her, and pulled her away from the fight.

"I'm sorry," she said, over and over again until I sat her down.

"Bonnie, it's fine. It's not like you did it because you wanted to," I informed her and I saw something flicker in her eyes.

She nodded. "Right, Elena, what are we going to do?"

"We're going to-"

"Elena!" she screamed and pulled me down over top of her.

I pulled back in time to see Stefan stake a tomb vampire who had been coming for me. I stared at him for a brief second before I nodded in his direction. "Thanks."

"You two okay? You should probably get out of here."

"I'm not leaving until Katherine and Isobel are dead. Really dead," I said as I got to my feet. Bonnie followed me and leaned against me until whatever she was feeling had passed. Stefan's eyes looked sad at the mention of me killing Katherine and he was going to say something when something came out of no where and knocked him down. It took me a moment to realize that it was Damon and I could only watch as Damon got the upper hand in the fight. I snapped out of it and moved closer in an attempt to break them up. I saw Damon raise the stake Stefan had been holding and I grabbed it away from him. "Stop it!" I yelled as I grabbed hold of his arm and pulled him away from Stefan.

Both of them were staring at each other with pure hate in their eyes as if I weren't there at all. I stood between them and looked at Damon. I had to grasp his face to get him to look at me. "Why shouldn't I kill him Elena? He hurt you and everyone you care about."

"I know that, but Isobel made him do it."

The words seemed to sink in because his stance relaxed a little. "I knew you were weak," he said through gritted teeth as he lifted his eyes to Stefan for a moment before pulling me to him for a crushing hug. Had I needed air to breathe, he would have been cutting off my air supply but at the moment, I was grateful that we were both here and safe. It never occurred to me that this display of affection was to claim me as his in front of Stefan. Under different circumstances I would have pulled away and yelled at him. Instead and I reached up and put my arms around his neck to hug him even tighter.

I pulled out of his grasp reluctantly and looked between the two of them, vaguely aware of Damon's hand in mine. "I will explain everything to both of you after we finish this."

No one said anything as we made our way to the bloodbath that was the ritual grounds. Dead vampires were everywhere and the first alive person I saw was Tyler as he changed from wolf to man and stole one of the tomb vampires pants so that he could come join us. "Tyler?" Stefan asked with wild eyes of disbelief.

He looked from Stefan to me and I nodded, letting him know it was okay. "Just help me find the others," I said.

It didn't take us long. Anna, Pearl, and Harper had found Alaric and John after Isobel had gotten the better of both of them. It wasn't until we got close to the five of them that I realized Jeremy was there in bloodstained clothes. Anna noticed my reaction and held up her hands. "He's fine. He's hurt, but he's alive. I gave him some more blood and it won't be long before he's back on his feet."

"Thank you."

Pearl got up and approached me. "Katherine got away."

"What about Isobel?" I asked.

Damon's grip tightened in mine and Alaric's eyes moved to the ground. "I killed her," Damon replied.

I stared at him for a second to let it sink in and then squeezed his hand back. I nodded, "I forgive you."

He snorted. "I distinctly remember a few months ago when you nearly chewed my head off for killing her the first time."

"Yes, well, things have changed," I said in a tight voice before I smiled lightly at him. Only Damon could make somewhat of a twisted joke in this situation. "We should go after Katherine." Damon nodded and I realized everyone was looking at Stefan and he had gradually taken a few steps away from us. I ignored it for the moment before I started giving orders to everyone. "Anna, I want you and Harper to go home and make sure Jeremy and Jenna are safe. Tyler, I would like you to go with them. Are the two of you healed yet?" I asked John and Alaric.

They both nodded. "It will be a few minutes before we're completely back," John answered.

I nodded and turned to Damon as Anna and Harper picked Jeremy up and started walking with Tyler away from the rest of us. "The rest of us are going after Katherine. Stefan, that includes you." I put my hand over Damon's mouth to stop any protests. "Pearl, can you work with Damon?"

"Yes."

"Elena-" Damon mumbled around my hand before he pulled it away from his lips. "I know what you're planning and I will not let you do it."

John and Alaric exchanged glances and Bonnie moved to my side. "I think it would be a good plan. She can do it Damon and let's face it. It took all four of you to take her down last time. This is the only way that we're going to have a good shot at killing her for good," Bonnie said, putting her arm through mine.

"It's too dangerous."

"And facing her in person isn't? Damon, you know this will work, you just have to trust me. I can do this."

He grabbed my arm and led me away from the group so that we could argue without them listening. "I know that you can do it, but are you aware that while your mind is connected to hers and she dies that you'll die too?" My eyes widened in surprise. "Didn't think so."

"All I need you to do is lure her back here. Bonnie and I will try to get her here as well and then if it doesn't work at least all of you can-"

He was shaking his head and I knew he wasn't listening. "Elena, we can go after her, but I refuse to let you do this. This new power of yours is great, but you don't know your limits yet. While I want nothing more than to watch that little bitch die again, I won't risk your life to do so."

We both stared at each other for a long pause before I gave in and nodded. "Fine, but you have to promise me that you'll leave Stefan alone until you know the whole story."

His response was to kiss me heatedly as if it were the last time we would ever kiss. When he stepped back, he kept his hands on my face and his forehead pressed to mine. "I love you."

"I love you too," I whispered and we headed back to the others. We came up with the idea of two teams of two and one team of three. Pearl and John went off to the right of the field, Alaric and Damon went left, leaving Stefan, Bonnie, and I to go straight. I knew Damon did not like the fact that Stefan would be with me and not him.

I watched until the other two groups were out of sight before I turned to Bonnie. She nodded, knowing that I was intending to go with my plan anyway and even Stefan seemed to know what that nod meant. "Elena, it is dangerous," Stefan said.

"I know that, but it's either that or she kills all of us," I said, holding his gaze. "I staked her and injected her with two vervain needles. That was after Damon got to her and she still didn't want to stay down. We got lucky that night. Something tells me it won't happen again."

He took a deep breath and nodded once. "If you think you can do this, then I will help."

"Thank you," I said and looked at Bonnie. "Tell me what to do."

She stood her ground and returned my gaze. "He's never going to forgive either of this. You know that, right?" she said slowly.

I nodded. "I know."

She reached forward and took my hands in hers. "I need you to lay down and concentrate on Katherine. Just like last time," she said and when I was settled, she began her chanting again.

The result was almost instant and I felt my eyes open but the view in front of me was different. I looked down and saw the robe that Katherine was wearing. How she had gotten it, I had no idea. I felt her body turn as she tried to figure out why she had stopped running. I heard footsteps and her body moved in the direction of the sound. "No!" I screamed, but it was Katherine's voice that made the sound as Damon sprang out of the trees and tackled Katherine to the ground.

"You're going back to hell and you're never coming back," he spat. I didn't have time to say anything else before I felt his nails ripping into Katherine's flesh and she fought him back. I had lost control of her for the moment and I was forced to watch as she began to get the upper hand. I wondered where Alaric was but that thought was cut short as Katherine's body tensed from something piercing her lower back.

She turned to see Alaric and lunged at him, the vervain having almost no effect on her at all. I felt her jaws close around her throat and in that moment, I was able to gain control. I detached myself and shoved him away. I grabbed the stake that was in his hand and moved away from him. Damon had been ready to go after her again and stopped when he saw that I had let Alaric live. "Stay put," Katherine's voice said and I could feel her mind fighting with mine for control of her body again.

His eyes went through an array of emotions as he realized what was happening. "Damn it Elena!" he hissed as I positioned the stake against Katherine's heart.

"You have to..." I started and realized that talking was causing me to get weaker.

He cursed more, but seemed to understand what I needed him to do. He gripped the stake and stared at me. I waited until the last possible second before he pushed and I severed the connection. My eyes flew open and I sat up gasping for air. Bonnie was by my side trying to calm me down and I noticed Stefan was crouched not far away from me either. "Did it work?"

"I think so," I said and Bonnie helped me up. "Let's go find out." With that, we began walking in the direction that Damon and Alaric had taken. When we got there, Pearl and John were getting there at the same time. I stopped as Damon looked at me. He was angry and everyone knew it. In the blink of an eye he had me in his arms, giving me another crushing hug. "I'm so sorry," I whispered as I let tears fall onto his chest.

He pulled back to cup my face tightly and stare into my eyes. "Don't. Ever. Do. That. Again." He enunciated every word and I nodded before his lips came crashing down on mine.

It was a brief kiss and when he pulled away, everyone seemed to clear their throats at the same time. "Now what do we do?" I asked, looking at Katherine's dead body.

"Wait until sunrise," John suggested. "Just like last time."

"As soon as someone calls Jenna and lets her know we're all alive," I said and Alaric did just that. In the meantime, everyone took a seat around her body and not one person said a word.

**a/n: I think I have one...maybe two chapters left in me. I'm contemplating on continuing after that...if you would be interested in a third installment, let me know. or maybe that would be drawing it out too much? Either way, maybe when I end this story I'll come up with my answer. :) Thanks so much for the reviews!**


	17. Chapter 17

SEVENTEEN

I opened my eyes to the overcast sky and the sound of rain tapping lightly against the window pane of the bedroom in the boarding house. I was laying on my side curled up facing the window and couldn't remember how I got there. I moved to stand in front of the window, looking out at the summer storms that I had always loved. I looked down and noticed the oversized T-shirt I was wearing instead of the clothes I'd been wearing during the fight. Damon must have changed me before putting me to bed. I played with my necklace as I stared out the window and then heard voices downstairs for the first time since waking up. I took a fast shower and dressed in jeans and a tank before wandering downstairs. Jenna, Jeremy, and Anna were the only ones sitting on the couch watching a movie. "Where are the others?" I asked.

"Bonnie is upstairs resting and the others went to clean up," Jenna said.

"All of them?"

Anna held my gaze the longest. "Stefan and Damon are being somewhat civil for your benefit but I honestly don't know how long that's going to last."

I nodded and sat on the chair near the fireplace and looked at them. "How are you feeling?" I asked Jeremy.

"A little tired, but alright. What about you?"

I shrugged, "Fine I guess."

"Alaric told me what you did. Do you know how stupid that was?" Jenna asked in a raised voice. "Brave, but stupid."

I smiled lightly as I got up and put my arms around her. "Sorry I made you worry, but everything is fine. No more psycho moms trying to kill us. No more vampires that look like me who want to hurt the town. All is good in the world," I said before I returned to my chair and relaxed into it. Everything I had just said seemed to sink in and it felt like a giant weight was lifted from my shoulder.

"Almost everything," Anna said, ruining my moment, but her eyes were smiling. "For the record, you're nothing like her."

"Thanks," I said warmly and closed my eyes. It was then that I found out how much power I had used over the course of the night because their thoughts flooded my mind and no matter how hard I tried, I could not block them out. "I'll be outside."

"Sure that's a good idea?" Jeremy asked.

"Yes," I replied and rushed out to the backyard. The blanket that I used when I star-gazed was rolled up and placed against the exterior by the door. I looked around and realized that end of the porch would be much better if there was a porch swing. I left the rug where it was before I moved out to stand in the rain. My hair was already wet from the shower and in a matter of seconds, my clothes were drenched and clung to my body like second skin. I closed my eyes and turned my face up to feel the rain wash away all the bad things that had occurred within the last six months.

"What are you doing out here?" came Damon's voice. It made me jump from the fact that I hadn't heard him approach.

I opened my eyes and smiled at him. "Good morning to you too."

"There is nothing good about it," he groused and even I could see the smile in his eyes as he tried to keep a straight face.

I saw Stefan out of the corner of my eye and nodded in his direction. "Can I talk to him for a minute?" I asked Damon.

"No."

I sighed and cupped his face lightly. "Just a minute. Then I want you to come back out here so we can talk."

He stared at me for a moment and then nodded as he realized I wasn't going to take no for an answer. "One minute."

When he was gone, I approached Stefan with a smile people give when they're not sure what to say next. I pulled the chain that held his ring from around my neck and held it out to him. He took it slowly and squeezed it in his hand. "So it is true. You're with Damon now."

"Yes."

"When?"

I took a deep breath, trying to find the right answer, and came up with nothing that wouldn't hurt him any more. "When I said I loved you, I meant it. Somewhere along the way, I realized that no matter how much I loved you, something was missing. Damon was that something."

He snorted and half-turned from me. "Was it something I did; something I said?"

I looked down. "Yes and no. We thought you wanted to kill us both and even though that's not true, it doesn't change how I feel about Damon. I'm not going to be like Katherine and tell you I want you both. I made my choice Stefan."

He looked at me then, tilting my head up so he could see my eyes. "I know you must be thinking that I fell for you because you look like her, but you're wrong and I will never stop loving you."

I shook my head. "I don't think that. I think you should have told me up front the minute I figured out what you were, but I don't think for a second that you loved me because of her."

He was silent and I was thankful that I couldn't hear his thoughts at the moment. His lips were tight and he looked even more defeated then when I had found him in the room last night. "You're happy with him?"

I nodded. "Yes. I know that he's not perfect and he can be...well, he's ruthless and dangerous, but he would never hurt me."

I stilled as he put his arms around me and when I realized it was a good-bye hug, I returned his embrace. "I'm sorry I couldn't protect you," he whispered. When he pulled away, he kissed my cheek and started to walk away. I could only turn to watch him walk up to the house where Damon was standing on the porch. As Stefan walked up to his brother he stopped and looked at him. "Break her heart and I swear I'll come after you," was all he said before going inside.

I let out a deep breath and found myself in Damon's arms before I could count to three. I clung to him and laughed a little as I felt the water squish out of our clothing from the action. I looked up at him and smiled. "It's over. Everything is going to be okay."

"That's supposed to be my line," he said lightly and kissed me soundly.

"He's never going to get over this is he?" I asked after I put my head back on his chest.

"He'll move on from you just like he moved on from Katherine."

My brow rose up at that. I was expecting some sort of negative comment about Stefan's weakness. "You're not angry with him?"

"Of course I'm angry with him, but Bonnie explained it to me. To be compelled by a vampire when you're also a vampire is the worst sort of humiliation you can experience and while I may not be fond of Saint Stefan, I wouldn't wish that on him. Everything is done and over with and I have you by my side."

I pulled back, but I was smiling widely. "Wow, what a different attitude."

"It'll pass," he assured me. "You lied to me. You know that right?"

I swallowed, my throat had suddenly gone dry. "I'm glad I did because she was killing you. She almost killed Alaric too, but it worked didn't it?"

"That's not the point Elena. You told me you wouldn't do it and you did."

"Tell me you wouldn't have done the same thing and I'll apologize."

He was silent for a moment and smirked. "Never do that again and I'll forget it ever happened."

"Deal."

He smirked, "Come on, we should go inside."

I shook my head. "I can't block anyone's thoughts. That's why I came out here in the first place."

He looked thoughtful for a moment. "Then what should we do?"

I grinned from ear to ear as I grabbed his hands and nodded towards the house. "Everyone is in there right?"

"Right."

"Which means my house is completely empty."

His eyes widened for a moment before he pulled me to him and kissed me deeply as if it were the last time he would get to do so. "Have I told you I love the way your mind works?"

"No, but you can show me," I breathed and with that, we were off to my house where it was definitely empty and we made the most out of it.

**a/n: I know it's short but I didn't know what else to write. This is it for this story and I have decided to continue with a third installment but I won't be posting it until after my finals are over with next week. (that gives me time to figure out a plot!) Thank you so much for the reviews and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did!**


End file.
